Examining Crack Cocaine Sentencing in a Post- Kimbrough World
Examining Crack Cocaine Sentencing in a Post- Kimbrough World
Examining Crack Cocaine Sentencing in a Post- Kimbrough World
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08-CASSIDY.DOC<br />
1/29/2009 3:29:23 PM<br />
120 AKRON LAW REVIEW [42:105<br />
A. United States v. Booker<br />
In Booker, the deeply fractured Court produced a total of six<br />
op<strong>in</strong>ions, with two duel<strong>in</strong>g 5-4 majorities. 120 Justice Stevens wrote what<br />
has been termed the “merits majority” op<strong>in</strong>ion, answer<strong>in</strong>g the question<br />
of whether the application of the Guidel<strong>in</strong>es violated the Sixth<br />
Amendment as articulated <strong>in</strong> Apprendi. 121 The other majority op<strong>in</strong>ion,<br />
viewed as the “remedial majority,” was written by Justice Breyer and<br />
addressed the question of how to remedy the Sixth Amendment violation<br />
identified by the Court. 122<br />
In 2003, a jury found Booker guilty of possess<strong>in</strong>g at least 50 grams<br />
of crack coca<strong>in</strong>e after hear<strong>in</strong>g evidence that he had just over 90 grams <strong>in</strong><br />
his duffel bag. 123 The facts found by the jury called for a Guidel<strong>in</strong>es<br />
sentence of 210-262 months. 124 At sentenc<strong>in</strong>g, however, the judge found<br />
additional facts. 125 By a preponderance of the evidence, the judge found<br />
Booker possessed 566 grams over and above the 92.5 grams found by<br />
the jury. 126 Follow<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>Sentenc<strong>in</strong>g</strong> Guidel<strong>in</strong>es, the judge’s f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>in</strong>creased Booker’s base level offense from 32 to 36. 127 The four-po<strong>in</strong>t<br />
difference <strong>in</strong>creased Booker’s m<strong>in</strong>imum sentence by 20 years; the<br />
change now called for a m<strong>in</strong>imum sentence of 30 years and a maximum<br />
of life <strong>in</strong> prison. 128 The district court judge sentenced Booker to the<br />
m<strong>in</strong>imum, 30 years <strong>in</strong> prison. 129<br />
The Sixth Amendment issue <strong>in</strong> Booker was all too similar to the<br />
issue present <strong>in</strong> both Apprendi and Blakely—all three cases excessively<br />
delegated determ<strong>in</strong>ate fact-f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g decisions to the judge, rather than the<br />
jury. The Booker Court sought to curtail the grow<strong>in</strong>g trend that “the<br />
judge, not the jury, . . . determ<strong>in</strong>ed the upper limits of sentenc<strong>in</strong>g.” 130 In<br />
its merits op<strong>in</strong>ion, the Court referenced § 3553(b)(1), which provided<br />
that the sentenc<strong>in</strong>g court “shall impose a sentence of the k<strong>in</strong>d and with<strong>in</strong><br />
constitutionally significant).<br />
119. 543 U.S. 220 (2005).<br />
120. See Douglas A Berman, Conceptualiz<strong>in</strong>g Booker, 38 ARIZ. ST. L.J. 387, 387 (2006).<br />
121. David M. Zlotnick, The Future of Federal <strong>Sentenc<strong>in</strong>g</strong> Policy: Learn<strong>in</strong>g Lessons from<br />
Republican Judicial Appo<strong>in</strong>tees <strong>in</strong> the Guidel<strong>in</strong>es Era, 79 U. COLO. L. REV. 1, 11-12 (2008).<br />
122. Id. at 12.<br />
123. United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 235 (2005).<br />
124. Id.<br />
125. Id.<br />
126. Id.<br />
127. United States v. Booker, 375 F.3d 508, 509 (7th Cir. 2004).<br />
128. Id.<br />
129. Booker, 543 U.S. at 235.<br />
130. Id. at 236.