Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-88-02610/USCOURTS-ca10-88-02610-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 510
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Vacate Sentence
Cause of Action: 

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F 1 LED 

UNITED STATES COURT OF AfppiDAtJgares Court of Appeals 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT JAN 1 o 1990 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

Plaintiff-Appellee, 

v. 

STEVE M. STEPHENS, also known as Mose 

Stephens, 

Defendant-Appellant. 

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> &OBERT L. HOECKER 

> Clerk 

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No. 88-2610 

(D.C. No. 86-CR-112-C) 

(N.D. Okla.) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Befor e TACHA, BALDOCK, and BRORBY, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has de termined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

~ssist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34(a) ; 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. 

submitted without oral argument. 

The case is therefore ordered 

Defendant-appellant's criminal conviction was affirmed on 

direct appeal and rehearing was denied. Later, the defendant both 

petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari and 

commenced a proceeding in the district court under 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2255 . The district court declined to rule on the S 2255 motion 

This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall 

not be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, 

except for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of 

the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. ~ 5 • 3 • 

Appellate Case: 88-2610 Document: 01019960700 Date Filed: 01/16/1990 Page: 1 
be caus e the petition for certiorari was pending. Subsequently, 

the Supreme Court denied certiorari. 

Ordi narily, final adjudication of a direct criminal appeal is 

a condition precedent, although not a jurisdictional bar, to 

consideration of post-conviction proceedings under§ 2255. 

Although the district court's initial action was entirely 

proper , there has been an intervening change of circumstances 

whi ch sign i ficantly alters the procedural posture of the 

underlying controversy. In effect, the§ 2255 motion has ripened 

and now i s appropriate for consideration and disposition on the 

. erits. I n order to expedite ultimate resolution of the matter, 

the distri ct court's judgment is vacated and the matter remanded 

for consideration on the merits. 

The j udgment of the United States District Court for the 

Northern District of Oklahoma is VACATED and the matter REMANDED 

for fu rther proceedings. 

The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

PER CURIAM 

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Appellate Case: 88-2610 Document: 01019960700 Date Filed: 01/16/1990 Page: 2