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Split Eleventh Circuit ruling on reasonableness of long sentence for one co-conspirator

By Douglas A. Berman

Today the Eleventh Circuit handed down an interesting ruling on the reasonableness of a sentence in US v. Docampo, No. 08-10698 (11th Cir. June 15, 2009) (available here). Here is how the majority opinion, per Judge Pryor, gets started: The main question presented by this appeal involves the reasonableness of the sentence of a young adult who was arrested in a sting operation that involved the armed robbery of a fictional stash house of cocaine and who later threatened a witness who testified against him.  The question is whether the district court abused its discretion when it sentenced John Andrew Docampo Jr. to a term of imprisonment of 270 months, instead of the mandatory minimum term of 180 months that he requested, even though some conspirators pleaded guilty and received less severe federal sentences and other conspirators who were juveniles when arrested pleaded guilty as adults in state court and received terms of probation...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on June 15, 2009 (boomark / email).