Terriquez-Flores

United States v. Terriquez-Flores

Good Law
188 F. App'x 574
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitJune 28, 2006No. 05-50417California680 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Alberto Terriquez-Flores appeals his conviction and corresponding sentence for *576 violating 21 U.S.C. §§ 952 and 960, importation of marijuana, and 21 U.S.C. § 841 (a)(1), possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . We affirm the conviction but vacate the sentence and remand the case back to the district court for resentencing.

Terriquez-Flores contests the admission of the Mexican vehicle registration and the gasoline receipts found in his vehicle. We need not decide whether the district court abused its discretion in admitting these documents. If any error occurred, it was non-prejudicial because the defendant later testified that the vehicle was registered in his name, that the registration placed in evidence by the government was authentic, and that the gas receipts were an accurate reflection of gasoline purchases he made during a pri- or trip to California. See Nye & Nissen v. United States, 168 F.2d 846, 856 (9th Cir.1948).

There was no Brady violation. Agent Tracy’s secondary report, dated February 7, 2005, was given to Terriquez-Flores during the lunch recess on the first full day of trial,…

Concurrence in Part

Reinhardt, J.

concurring in part and dissenting in part:

I concur with the majority’s resolution of the defendant’s claims with the exception of its conclusion that the district court did not err in denying Terriquez-Flores a minor role adjustment to his sentence. The district judge did not determine that Terriquez-Flores’ role in a larger drug trafficking scheme was not minor, nor did he conclude that Terriquez-Flores was not a part of such a scheme. Instead, he made clear that he refused to consider granting a minor role adjustment in cases such as the one before us—notwithstanding the fact that such an adjustment is authorized under section 3B1.2 of the Sentencing Guidelines—because he simply disagreed with the Guidelines’ authorization of the reduction. In doing so, he erred. See United States v. Webster, 996 F.2d 209, 211 (9th Cir.1993).

*577 Even after the Sentencing Guidelines were made non-mandatory by United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 , 125 S.Ct. 738 , 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005), a district judge is not free to disregard one of the Guidelines merely because he disagrees with it. See United States v. Menyweather, 447 F.3d 625 (9th Cir.2006); United States v. Kimbrew, 406 F.3d 1149,…

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