Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca3-14-03525/USCOURTS-ca3-14-03525-0/pdf.json

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

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DLD-195 NOT PRECEDENTIAL

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

___________

No. 14-3525

___________

JESUS RODRIGUEZ-LEON,

 Appellant

v.

WARDEN ALLENWOOD FCI

____________________________________

On Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

(D.C. Civil No. 13-cv-01382)

District Judge: Honorable James M. Munley

____________________________________

Submitted for Possible Dismissal Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B), Summary 

Action Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6

March 7, 2015

Before: FISHER, SHWARTZ and GREENBERG, Circuit Judges 

(Opinion filed: May 12, 2015 )

_________

OPINION*

_________

PER CURIAM

Jesus Rodriguez-Leon appeals the District Court’s order denying his petition filed 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. For the reasons below, we will dismiss the appeal as moot.

 

* This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not 

constitute binding precedent.

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In 2011, Rodriguez-Leon was sentenced to 46 months in prison after being 

convicted of illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. In 2013, 

he filed a § 2241 petition seeking credit for time spent in custody prior to sentencing. 

The District Court denied the petition, and Rodriguez-Leon filed a notice of appeal. 

According to the Inmate Locator on the Bureau of Prisons website, Rodriguez-Leon was 

released on February 18, 2015. Because it appeared that Rodriguez had served his 

sentence, the parties were asked to address whether the appeal was moot. Appellee has 

filed a response,1 but Rodriguez-Leon has not.2

Pursuant to Article III of the Constitution, a federal court may adjudicate only 

ongoing controversies or cases. Burkey v. Marberry, 556 F.3d 142, 147 (3d Cir. 2009).

Rodriguez-Leon sought relief which would result in his earlier release from prison, and 

he has now been released from prison. There is no effective relief that we could grant 

him. See In re Cantwell, 639 F.2d 1050, 1053 (3d Cir. 1981) (“[A]n appeal will be 

dismissed as moot when events occur during the pendency of the appeal which prevent 

the appellate court from granting any effective relief.”). Rodriguez-Leon has not argued 

that there are any collateral consequences caused by the denial of his sentencing credit. 

See Burkey, 556 F.3d at 148 (when a prisoner challenges a sentence that has been served, 

the appeal is moot unless he can show collateral consequences.)

 

1 Appellee confirms that Rodriguez-Leon has been released.

2 Rodriguez-Leon did not provide the Clerk with an updated address, and the Clerk’s 

order requesting responses on mootness was returned with the notation “attempted not 

known unable to forward.”

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Accordingly, we will dismiss the appeal as moot. 

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