United States v. Minard, No. 16-2574 (8th Cir. 2017)
Annotate this CaseThe Eighth Circuit affirmed defendant's 120-month sentence for being a felon in possession, holding that the district court's statement to the crime victim at sentencing did not reflect bias or partiality. The Eighth Circuit explained that the district court's spontaneous expression of empathy for a crime victim's impact statement reflected no deep-seated antagonism, and its statement of reasons for imposing a 120-month sentence reflected thorough and proper consideration of the statutory sentencing factors. Rather, the district court's statement furthered the congressional policy of encouraging crime victim participation in the criminal justice process.
Court Description: Loken, Author, with Wollman and Riley, Circuit Judges] Criminal case - Sentencing. Claim that the district court's statement to the crime victim at sentencing reflected bias or partiality rejected; the statement was a spontaneous expression of empathy and did not reflect deep-seated antagonism; further, the court gave ample reasons for its sentencing decisions which reflected a through and proper consideration of the statutory sentencing factors.
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