U.S. v. Courtland

Dist. Ct. did not err in sentencing defendants to above-guideline range sentences on conspiracy charge involving dog-fighting scheme even though Dist. Ct. sua sponte submitted his own report on dog-fighting and entered said report into record as sentencing memorandum. Filing of said memorandum, which contained background material on dog fighting, did not exceed powers of judiciary established in Article III of Constitution, and Dist. Ct. otherwise justified imposition of above-guideline sentences under section 3553(a) based on number of dogs attributed to each defendant and extraordinary cruelty used against said dogs.