Where a sentencing judge nominates starting points and states an intention to apply a specific percentage discount for guilty pleas, an arithmetical error in the calculation is a specific error warranting appellate intervention. Where a sentencing judge acknowledges mitigating factors beyond the guilty plea but the nominated starting points are clearly pre-mitigation figures, the discount applied must reflect both the guilty plea percentage and a separate allowance for other mitigating factors. A discount for cooperation with authorities should be given even where the cooperation produces information of little or no value, though the discount will be substantially reduced in such circumstances.
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