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DEFENDANT LELAND YEE’S SENTENCING MEMORANDUMCase No.CR 14-00196-CRB-2
JAMES A. LASSART (SBN 40913) NICHOLAS C. LARSON (SBN 275870)MURPHY, PEARSON, BRADLEY & FEENEY88 Kearny Street, 10
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Floor San Francisco, CA 94108Telephone: (415) 788-1900Facsimile: (415) 393-8087Email: JLassart@mpbf.com NLarson@mpbf.comAttorneys for DefendantLELAND YEEUNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIASAN FRANCISCO DIVISIONUNITED STATES OF AMERICA,Plaintiff,v.LELAND YEE,Defendant.Case No. CR 14-00196-CRB-2
DEFENDANT LELAND YEE’SSENTENCING MEMORANDUM ANDMOTION FOR DEPARTURE
Date: February 24, 2016Time: 10:00 a.m.Judge: Hon. Charles R. Breyer Ctrm: 6, 17
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Case 3:14-cr-00196-CRB Document 1320 Filed 02/17/16 Page 1 of 41
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTSPage
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DEFENDANT LELAND YEE’S SENTENCING MEMORANDUMCase No.CR 14-00196-CRB-2
I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................1II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND......................................................................................................4III. THE PROPER GUIDELINE CALCULATIONS FOR YEE INDICATEA SENTENCE BETWEEN 51-63 MONTHS.............................................................................5A. The Government’s Proposed Sentencing Enhancements Have a DisproportionateEffect on Yee’s Sentence and Must Be Reviewed under a Clear and ConvincingEvidence Standard............................................................................................................5B. No Monetary Enhancement Is Warranted in Count 214..................................................6C. The Enhancement for the Total Number of Firearms Is Based on Speculation,and Not an Actual Number. ...........................................................................................111. UCE 4599 Relied on the Assertions of Jackson in Yee’s Absence. ..................112. The Later Conversations Between Yee, Jackson and UCE 4599 IllustrateYee’s Lack of Desire or Intent to Carry Out the Alleged 200 WeaponTrafficking..........................................................................................................153. Federal Case Law Illustrates the Insufficiency of the Evidence againstYee with Regard to the Enhancement under Count 222....................................18IV. THE SENTENCING CRITERIA OF 18 U.S.C. SECTION 3553 ALSO POINTTOWARDS A SENTENCING OF BETWEEN 57-51 MONTHS ...........................................19A. Nature and Circumstances of the Offense......................................................................20B. Section 3553(a)(1): Yee’s History and Characteristics.................................................211. Exemplary Character..........................................................................................222. Exemplary Service to the Community...............................................................24C. A Sentence of 51-63 Months Is All that Is Needed to Accomplish DistributiveJustice and Avoid Undue Disparities under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(6).............................26D. Section 3553(a)(2): General Purposes of the Criminal Justice System. .......................281. Just Punishment..................................................................................................292. General Deterrence.............................................................................................293. Specific Deterrence............................................................................................29
Case 3:14-cr-00196-CRB Document 1320 Filed 02/17/16 Page 2 of 41
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