Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00077/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00077-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 510
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Vacate Sentence
Cause of Action: 28:2255 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Federal)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff,

v.

JAMES ALLEN CORNERS,

Defendant.

 /

Civ. S–05-0077 DFL

Cr. S-02-0134 DFL

O R D E R

Defendant James Allen Corners moves under 28 U.S.C. § 2255

to vacate the judgment and conviction entered against him on May

24, 2004. Defendant was sentenced to a term of 24 months. As

part of the plea agreement, defendant expressly waived his right

to appeal or collaterally attack the judgment and sentence. 

Corners now seeks a modification of his sentence based on the

Supreme Court’s recent holding in United States v. Booker, --

U.S. --, 125 S.Ct. 738, 756 (2005). The government moved to

dismiss on three grounds: (1) the express waiver; (2) Corners has

failed to state a Booker claim; and (3) Booker does not apply

Case 2:05-cv-00077-DFL Document 2 Filed 09/15/05 Page 1 of 2
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retroactively.

All three of the government’s arguments are meritorious. As

to the first ground, express waivers of the right to bring a §

2255 motion are valid, unless the petitioner demonstrates that

the waiver was involuntary or uncounseled. See United States v.

Abarca, 985 F.2d 1012 (9th Cir. 1993); United States v. Pruitt,

32 F.3d 431 (9th Cir. 1994); Mason v. United States, 211 F.3d

1065 (7th Cir. 2000); United States v. White, 307 F.3d 336 (5th

Cir. 2002). Here, the written plea agreement contained an

express waiver, which the court expressly went over with Corners

when he pled guilty in open court. (Mot. Ex. 4 at 8.) As

Corners has not alleged that his plea was involuntary or

uncounseled, the express waiver bars this petition by Corners.

There is no need to discuss the additional grounds. 

The government’s April 29, 2005 motion to dismiss is GRANTED

and Corners’s March 25, 2005 motion is DISMISSED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 9/14/2005

DAVID F. LEVI

United States District Judge

Case 2:05-cv-00077-DFL Document 2 Filed 09/15/05 Page 2 of 2