FILED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
MAY 18 2017
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 15-30099
Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No.
2:09-cr-00013-JLR-1
v.
EFREN GALLEGOS-RAYMUNDO, MEMORANDUM*
Defendant-Appellant.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 15-30101
Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No.
2:08-cr-00159-JLR-4
v.
EFREN GALLEGOS-RAYMUNDO,
Defendant-Appellant.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 15-30102
Plaintiff-Appellee,
D.C. No.
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
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v. 2:13-cr-00023-JLR-1
EFREN GALLEGOS-RAYMUNDO,
Defendant-Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Washington
James L. Robart, District Judge, Presiding
Argued and Submitted May 9, 2017
Seattle, Washington
Before: McKEOWN, BEA, and N.R. SMITH, Circuit Judges.
Efren Gallegos-Raymundo appeals the district court’s order granting his
motion for reduction in sentence and reducing his sentence from 78 months to 75
months. He argues the district court should have reduced his sentence by a greater
amount. We have jurisdiction to hear this appeal, 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we vacate
and remand.
Section 3582(c)(2) of Title 18 of the United States Code “authorizes district
courts to modify an imposed sentence ‘in the case of a defendant who has been
sentenced to a term of imprisonment based on a sentencing range that has
subsequently been lowered by the Sentencing Commission.’” United States
v. Dunn, 728 F.3d 1151, 1155 (9th Cir. 2013) (quoting 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2)).
When considering a § 3582(c)(2) motion, a district court must apply a “two-step
2
inquiry.” Dillon v. United States, 560 U.S. 817, 826 (2010). “First, a district court
must determine whether a prisoner is eligible for a sentence modification.” Dunn,
728 F.3d at 1155. The parties agree that Gallegos-Raymundo is eligible for a
sentence reduction, because Amendment 782 to the Sentencing Guidelines lowered
“the guideline range applicable to [him]” after he was initially sentenced, see U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 1B1.10(a)(1), (d) (U.S. Sentencing Comm’n
2015), and his sentence “based on” that guideline range, see 18 U.S.C.
§ 3582(c)(2).
At step two, “a district court must ‘consider any applicable [18 U.S.C.]
§ 3553(a) factors and determine whether, in its discretion, the reduction authorized
by reference to the policies relevant at step one is warranted in whole or in part
under the particular circumstances of the case.’” Dunn, 728 F.3d at 1155 (quoting
Dillon, 560 U.S. at 827). “The district court’s duty to consider the § 3553(a)
factors necessarily entails a duty to provide a sufficient explanation of the
sentencing decision to permit meaningful appellate review.” United States v.
Trujillo, 713 F.3d 1003, 1009 (9th Cir. 2013) (citing United States v. Carty, 520
F.3d 984, 992 (9th Cir. 2008) (en banc)). In addition, “when a party raises a
specific, nonfrivolous argument tethered to a relevant § 3553(a) factor . . . then the
3
judge should normally explain why he accepts or rejects the party’s position.” Id.
(omission in original) (quoting Carty, 520 F.3d at 992–93).
The district court did not provide any explanation for its decision to reduce
Gallegos-Raymundo’s sentence from 78 months to 75 months. Thus, the district
court has not met its duty to explain its consideration of the § 3553(a) factors and
any specific arguments raised by the parties. See id. at 1009–10. “[T]his was legal
error.” Id. at 1011. Therefore, we must vacate the district court’s order and
remand this case so the district court can provide the requisite explanation.
VACATED and REMANDED.
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