Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-24-05137/USCOURTS-ca10-24-05137-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
United States of America
Appellee
Joshua James Wood
Appellant

Document Text:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT

_________________________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff - Appellee,

v.

JOSHUA JAMES WOOD, 

 Defendant - Appellant.

No. 24-5137

(D.C. No. 4:22-CR-00051-GKF-2)

(N.D. Okla.)

_________________________________

ORDER

_________________________________

Before HOLMES, Chief Judge, MATHESON and BACHARACH, Circuit Judges.

_________________________________

This matter is before the court sua sponte upon review of an inordinately late 

notice of appeal. Joshua James Wood pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm 

and ammunition. Judgment entered in his criminal case on January 9, 2024. On 

November 25, 2024, Mr. Wood filed a pro se notice of appeal stating in part that he is 

“filing a notice of intent to appeal for ineffective assistance of council [sic] . . . [and] 

would like to file 2555 [sic] relief form.”

In a criminal case, a defendant’s notice of appeal must be filed in the district court 

within 14 days after entry of the judgment. See Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)(i). This is not 

a jurisdictional time limit but may be raised by the court sua sponte in certain limited 

circumstances, such as when the defendant’s delay in filing the notice of appeal has been 

inordinate. See United States v. Mitchell, 518 F.3d 740, 750 (10th Cir. 2008).

FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

December 4, 2024

Christopher M. Wolpert

Clerk of Court

Appellate Case: 24-5137 Document: 5 Date Filed: 12/04/2024 Page: 1
2

Under the circumstances of this case, we conclude that a sua sponte dismissal of 

this criminal appeal is appropriate. Mr. Wood filed this notice of appeal on November 25, 

2024, more than ten months after the January 9, 2024 judgment entered in his criminal 

case. Moreover, it appears that Mr. Wood is seeking to file a first 28 U.S.C. § 2255 

motion to vacate, set aside or correct a sentence, which is filed in the district court and 

not this court. Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed as untimely.1

A copy of this order shall stand as and for the mandate of this court. 

APPEAL DISMISSED.

Entered for the Court

CHRISTOPHER M. WOLPERT, Clerk

1The dismissal of this criminal appeal does not preclude Mr. Wood from filing a 

28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion in the district court in accordance with federal law.

Appellate Case: 24-5137 Document: 5 Date Filed: 12/04/2024 Page: 2