United States v. Ford, No. 12-2094 (8th Cir. 2013)
Annotate this CaseDefendant pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking (Count I), one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (Count II), and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm (Count III). On appeal, defendant challenged his sentence. The court held that the district court's discussion of the 18 U.S.C. 3553(a) factors demonstrated that it considered the relevant factors and provided a reasoned basis for its decision; the district court sufficiently explained defendant's sentence, and any error in grouping Counts I and III was harmless where the district court made clear that it would have imposed a life sentence even absent the grouping of Counts I and III. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment.
Court Description: Criminal case - Sentencing. The sentencing record showed the district court considered the 3553(a) factors, including factors pointed out by defendant, and reached a decision which was not an abuse of its discretion; court sufficiently explained its sentencing decision; any error in grouping two counts for sentencing purposes was harmless as the court made clear that it would impose a life sentence even absent the grouping because of the danger defendant posed to the public.
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