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United States v. Williams, 4th Cir. (2011)
United States v. Williams, 4th Cir. (2011)
No. 10-4355
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of North Carolina, at Raleigh.
Louise W. Flanagan,
Chief District Judge. (5:09-cr-00206-FL-2)
Submitted:
Decided:
PER CURIAM:
James
John
Williams
pled
guilty,
without
plea
district
court
sentenced
Williams
within
the
advisory
Williams
unreasonable.
appeals,
Additionally,
claiming
that
Williams
argues
his
sentence
that
the
is
recent
to
crack
cocaine
offenses,
contained
in
the
Fair
and
remand
this
case
to
the
district
court
for
an
552
court
abuse
U.S.
of
38,
reviews
sentence
for
discretion
standard.
51
see
(2007);
also
reasonableness,
Gall
United
v.
United
States
v.
sufficiently
Regardless
of
explained
whether
the
the
below,
or
within-Guidelines
record
an
individualized
selected
district
court
sentence,
assessment
it
based
Id.
sentence.
imposes
must
on
an
place
the
above,
on
the
particular
does
not
dispute
the
calculation
of
his
factors
and
provide
an
adequate
reason
for
sentence.
its
United
The
legal
decisionmaking
authority.
United
States
v.
Boulware, 604 F.3d 832, 837 (4th Cir. 2010) (quoting Rita v.
United States, 551 U.S. 338, 356 (2007)).
After
reviewing
district
court
properly
analyzed
the
arguments
the
record,
considered
presented
we
the
by
the
conclude
that
3553(a)
parties,
the
factors,
and
gave
We therefore
assess
taking
the
into
including
the
substantive
account
extent
the
of
reasonableness
totality
any
of
variance
of
the
the
from
sentence,
circumstances,
the
Guidelines
range.
Cir.) (quoting Gall, 552 U.S. at 51), cert. denied, 131 S. Ct.
307
(2010).
Guidelines
If
range,
reasonable.
the
sentence
this
Court
is
may
within
consider
the
it
appropriate
presumptively
is
disparity
not
review process.
courts
to
for
based
on
crack
cocaine
empirical
and
evidence
powder
and
cocaine
thorough
discard
the
presumption
4
of
reasonableness
for
United
States
Cir.),
v.
Mondragon-Santiago,
564
F.3d
357,
366
(5th
cert. denied, 130 S. Ct. 192 (2009); see also United States v.
Talamantes,
While
620
F.3d
district
Guidelines
for
901,
courts
policy
901
(8th
certainly
reasons
Cir.
2010)
may
disagree
and
may
(per
adjust
curiam).
with
the
sentence
their
because
based.
the
decisions
under
particular
Mondragon-Santiago,
more
Guideline
564
F.3d
is
at
lenient
not
367.
standard
empiricallyWe
therefore
Williams
failed
to
the
presumption
of
and
is
applicable
to
defendants
who
commit
Williams criminal
conduct predated the effective date of the Act and thus it does
not apply. 2
For
the
foregoing
reasons,
we
affirm
Williams
and
materials
legal
before
contentions
the
court
are
adequately
and
argument
presented
would
not
in
the
aid
the
decisional process.
AFFIRMED
United States v. Diaz, 627 F.3d 930, 931 (2d Cir. 2010);
United States v. Reevey, 631 F.3d 110, 114-15 (3d Cir. 2010);
United States v. Brewer, 624 F.3d 900, 909 n.7 (8th Cir. 2010),
petition for cert. filed, __ U.S.L.W. __ (U.S. Feb. 24, 2011)
(No. 10-9224); United States v. Bell, 624 F.3d 803, 814 (7th
Cir. 2010), petition for cert. filed, __ U.S.L.W. __ (U.S. Mar.
4, 2011) (No. 10-9409); United States v. Gomes, 621 F.3d 1343,
1346 (11th Cir. 2010), petition for cert. filed, __ U.S.L.W. __
(U.S. Feb. 15, 2011) (No. 10-9271); United States v. Carradine,
621 F.3d 575, 580 (6th Cir. 2010), cert. denied, __ U.S.L.W. __
(U.S. Mar. 21, 2011) (No. 10-8937).