Notable ruling on meth sentencing guidelines by a notable federal sentencing judge

A helpful colleague made sure I did not miss a notable little new ruling from federal judge in Mississippi in US v. Robinson, No. 3:21-CR-14-CWR-FKB-2 (S.D. Miss. Dec. 23, 2022) (available here).  The ruling addresses the calculation of the federal sentencing guideline range in meth cases, and here are some excerpts (with lots of cites omitted):

The issue is fairly straightforward. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines use drug purity as a proxy for a defendant’s culpability….  As a result, the Guidelines make a distinction between “methamphetamine” and “actual methamphetamine.”   All else equal, defendants caught with actual methamphetamine get longer sentences than defendants caught with methamphetamine mixture….

The distinction is significant to Mr. Robinson.  Because he possessed 214.4 grams of especially pure methamphetamine, the Guidelines indicate that he should have a “base offense level” of 32.  In contrast, if Mr. Robinson was deemed to have possessed 214.4 grams of methamphetamine mixture, the Guidelines indicate that his base offense level would be 26….

At the outset, the Court appreciates the parties for pointing to Judge Bennett’s decision in United States v. Nawanna, 321 F. Supp. 3d 943 (N.D. Iowa 2018).  In that case, the United States conceded that there is no empirical basis for the Sentencing Commission’s 10-to-1 weight disparity between actual methamphetamine and methamphetamine mixture. Other courts have found the same….

On review, the undersigned agrees with these colleagues.  The Guidelines use drug purity as a proxy for culpability.  But national experience suggests that is no longer true for methamphetamine.  The DEA data show that most methamphetamine confiscated today is “pure” regardless of whether the defendant is a kingpin or a low-level addict….

Given the on-the-ground reality in methamphetamine cases, the better way to determine culpability is to examine all of the circumstances of the defendant’s case and life — seeing the defendant as a “whole person,” as the Supreme Court just instructed in Concepcion. 142 S. Ct. at 2395.  There are sentencing enhancements available for leaders, organizers, or managers of criminal enterprises.  If the defendant’s case warrants, those enhancements should be applied.  In the context of methamphetamine, though, purity is no longer probative of the defendant’s culpability.

This ruling is notable on its own terms, but it seemed especially blogworthy because of the opinion’s author: US District Judge Carlton W. Reeves. Judge Reeves, as some readers likely know, is the new Chair of the US Sentencing Commission.