Brian Gall was convicted of conspiracy to distribute ecstasy and sentenced to 36 months probation by the district court. The government appealed, challenging the leniency of the sentence. The Supreme Court held that the district court must make an individualized assessment when sentencing based on the specific facts of the case. While the appeals court may have disagreed with the district court's decision, it should have given deference to the reasoned decision that probation was justified according to the statutory sentencing factors. The Supreme Court remanded the case, finding that the appeals court did not appropriately defer to the district court's sentencing determination.