United States v. Winslow

755 F. Supp. 914, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 728, 1991 WL 5106
CourtDistrict Court, D. Idaho
DecidedJanuary 17, 1991
DocketCrim. No. 90-033-N-HLR
StatusPublished

This text of 755 F. Supp. 914 (United States v. Winslow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Idaho primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Winslow, 755 F. Supp. 914, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 728, 1991 WL 5106 (D. Idaho 1991).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND STATEMENT OF REASONS

RYAN, Chief Judge.

Defendant Robert John Winslow was one of three defendants named in a four-count Superceding Indictment filed in the District of Idaho on July 12, 1990. The Superced-ing Indictment charged the defendant with violations of Title 18, United States Code § 371 (conspiracy to commit offense against the United States); Title 26, United States Code § 5861 (receiving or possessing illegal firearms); Title 18, United States Code § 1952 (interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises); and Title 18, United States Code § 924 (use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime). A jury trial was held, and the jury, on October 18, 1990, found the defendant guilty on all four counts. Thereafter, on January 11, 1991, the defendant came on for sentencing before this court.

On December 20, 1990, a presentence investigation report was prepared pursuant to Rule 32, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Thereafter, counsel for each party had an opportunity to submit written objections to the presentence report, which both parties did. The probation officer revised the presentence report on January 4, 1991, and also submitted an addendum to the report on that date.

Under Rule 32, the court is required to enter findings as to any alleged factual inaccuracies in the Presentence Investigation Report or to make a determination that no such findings are necessary because the controverted matter will not be taken into account in sentencing. During the sentencing, the court made the following findings.

I. GOVERNMENT’S OBJECTIONS

On January 2, 1991, the government filed a five-page memorandum in which it made three objections to the presentence report that related to this defendant. As to this defendant, the government argued that the vulnerable victim adjustment should be applied, the adjustment for acceptance of responsibility should not be given, and that the defendant should be given the four-level enhancement for his role in the offenses. The government also requested the court to depart upward. After the Probation Department prepared the revised report and addendum, the government, on January 9, 1991, filed its notice of objections to the [917]*917revised report, in which it expanded on its initial objections.

A. Vulnerable Victim Adjustments

The government argued that the defendant should receive a two-level enhancement pursuant to Section 3A1.1 of the guidelines. This section provides for an enhancement “[i]f the defendant knew or should have known that a victim of the offense was unusually vulnerable due to age, physical or mental condition, or that a victim was otherwise particularly susceptible to the criminal conduct....” United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual, § 3A1.1 (Nov.1989). The government argued that because the evidence showed that the defendants intended to kill, wound or maim certain victims chosen solely because of their race, religion and/or sexual preference, the defendants should get the enhancement for vulnerable victims. The government also asserted that none of the four counts that the defendant was convicted of take into account that the intended victims were chosen on racial, sexual, and/or religious minority grounds.

However, the court found that the government’s position was not well taken. The court stated that in its review of cases cited by the government which have applied to this adjustment, the courts only applied this adjustment if there existed actual victims.1 The court found that in the case at bar, there was no evidence of any actual victims, but instead the only evidence was the defendants’ talk and speculation concerning the intended victims. The court was not willing to hold that the potential or intended victims of this criminal conspiracy, which included a large class of minorities and homosexuals, should be considered “vulnerable victims” applicable under the guidelines.

B. Acceptance of Responsibility

The government also objected to the two-level reduction that the defendant had received for acceptance of responsibility in paragraph 32 of the report. The government argued that absent some affirmative action on behalf of the defendant which showed that he has accepted full responsibility for his actions, the defendant should not be given this adjustment. The probation officer maintained that the defendant took this affirmative action when he provided the F.B.I. agents with admissions regarding his culpability and participation in the conspiracy, and again made those same admissions to the probation officer in the post-trial interview. Thus, the probation officer argued that the defendant has clearly demonstrated a recognition and affirmative acceptance of responsibility for his criminal conduct.

Section 3E1.1 of the guidelines provides for a two-level reduction “[i]f the defendant clearly demonstrates a recognition and affirmative acceptance of personal responsibility for his criminal conduct.” U.S.S.G. § 3El.l(a) (emphasis added). The court, in determining whether a defendant qualifies for this deduction, may consider whether the defendant voluntarily terminated or withdrew from the criminal conduct or associations; voluntarily paid restitution prior to adjudication of guilt; voluntarily and truthfully admitted to the authorities his involvement in the offense and related conduct; voluntarily surrendered to the authorities promptly after commission of the offense; or voluntarily assisted authorities in recovering the fruits and instru-mentalities of the offense. In addition, the application notes to this section indicate that this adjustment is not intended to apply to a defendant who maintains his innocence throughout the trial, and then after conviction, admits guilt and expresses remorse. However, the comments to this section also state that “[i]n rare situations a defendant may clearly demonstrate an acceptance of responsibility for his criminal conduct even though he exercises his constitutional right to a trial.” U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1, comment, (n.2) (Nov.1990). The [918]*918probation officer maintains that this case presents the “rare situation” where the defendant should get the reduction. The court, considering these factors and upon review of the entire record, including the revised presentence report, the 302 report of the F.B.I. agent who took the defendant’s statement after his arrest, and the testimony heard during the hearing, found that the defendant had not clearly demonstrated a recognition and affirmative acceptance of personal responsibility for all of his criminal conduct, especially in light of the fact that he maintained his innocence throughout the trial.

Accordingly, the court rejected paragraph 32 of the revised presentence report to the extent it concluded that the defendant is entitled to a two-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility.

C. Adjustment for Role in the Offense

The government also objected to paragraph 28 which gave the defendant a two-level enhancement for being the leader or organizer of the criminal activity pursuant to Section 3B1.1 of the guidelines.

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755 F. Supp. 914, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 728, 1991 WL 5106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-winslow-idd-1991.