United States v. Justin Wrice

Justin Wrice was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment — the high end of his Guidelines range — for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine. He appeals that sentence, arguing that the district court 1 gave significant weight to an improper factor in determining his sentence. According to Wrice, the court gave too much weight to its “obvious skepticism that Mr. Wrice could both take care of his child every day in Chicago, and at the same time commit criminal offenses in Iowa.” (Footnote omitted.)

Giving significant weight to an improper sentencing factor is an abuse of discretion. United States…