Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-88-02518/USCOURTS-ca10-88-02518-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 530
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Habeas Corpus
Cause of Action: 

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FILED 

U1.,ited States Court of A ~i:,e111$ 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Cirmir , . 

JESSEL. GARCIA, 

Petitioner-Appellant, 

v. 

MICHAEL FRANCKE, 

Respondent-Appellee. 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

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AUG 9 1989 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

No. 88-2518 

(D.C. No. CV-86-1155-JB) 

(D. N.M.) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before McKAY, TACHA, and EBEL, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34 (a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The cause is therefore ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

This appeal is from an order of the district court denying a 

writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Petitioner 

appeals on the ground that he involuntarily pled guilty because 

his trial counsel allegedly "guaranteed" a sentence of 81⁄2 years 

instead of the 10 years to which he was sentenced. We affirm. 

The plea agreement that petitioner signed contains no 

r efer ence to a particular sentence. The evidence is clear that 

the prosecutor would not agree to a plea recommendation and that 

* 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 

t he case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 

36 . 3 . 

Appellate Case: 88-2518 Document: 01019974469 Date Filed: 08/09/1989 Page: 1 
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defense counsel knew that the sentencing judge retained broad 

discretion in sentencing decisions in guilty plea cases. The 

record contains substantial evidence to support the magistrate's 

finding that the guilty plea was not conditioned upon a 

"guaranteed" prison term. 

The magistrate conducted an evidentiary hearing in this case 

and ·conclttded that defense- counsel's representation did not fall 

below an objective standard of reasonableness. "When an 

i nvoluntariness claim rests on the faulty •.. predictions of 

defense counsel, the plea will be deemed constitutionally 

involuntary only when the attorney is held to have been 

constitutionally ineffective." Worthen v. Meachum, 842 F.2d 1179, 

118 4 (10th Cir. 1988). We agree with the district court that the 

advi ce of defense counsel with respect to the guilty plea did not 

deny petitioner of effective assistance of counsel, and therefore 

the plea was not involuntarily entered in violation of the 

petit i oner's constitutional rights. 

We AFFIRM. The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

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ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

Deanell Reece Tacha 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 88-2518 Document: 01019974469 Date Filed: 08/09/1989 Page: 2