Luis Daniel Fuentes v. United States

Title 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c) requires a court, at the time of sentencing, to “state in open court the reasons for its imposition of the particular sentence.” This Court has previously limited this statute’s mandate and stated that a sentencing court need not issue a full explanation of its reasoning – explaining a court need not write “full opinion” in every case to explain its reasoning. Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338, 356-9 (2007). However, the Fifth Amendment guarantees defendants the right to Due Process, including on appeal. But without a complete record on appeal, a defendant cannot argue that a sentencing court failed to properly weigh the factors set forth in § 3553(a), resulting in an unreasonable sentence. The question presented is: Whether a sentencing court must address mitigating evidence and arguments offered by defense counsel regarding factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) when stating its reasons for its imposition of a particular sentence?