Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-16-05017/USCOURTS-ca10-16-05017-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Ruben Garcia Hernandez
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT

_________________________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff - Appellee,

v.

RUBEN GARCIA HERNANDEZ, 

 Defendant - Appellant.

No. 16-5017

(D.C. No. 4:09-CR-00138-CVE-1)

(N.D. Okla.)

_________________________________

ORDER

_________________________________

Before MATHESON, McHUGH, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges.

_________________________________

Ruben Garcia Hernandez, proceeding pro se, appeals the order entered by the 

district court on September 22, 2015 denying his motion for a sentence reduction 

pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c). Mr. Garcia Hernandez filed his notice of appeal in 

accordance with the prison mailbox rule on February 20, 2016. See Fed. R. App. P. 

4(c)(1).

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. Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A). The timely filing 

of a notice of appeal by the defendant is an inflexible claim-processing rule that may be 

forfeited if not properly raised by the government. United States v. Garduño, 506 F.3d 

1287, 1290-91 (10th Cir. 2007). However, because Rule 4(b) implicates important 

judicial interests beyond those of the parties, the court may raise the time bar sua sponte

FILED

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

March 2, 2016

Elisabeth A. Shumaker

Clerk of Court

Appellate Case: 16-5017 Document: 01019579916 Date Filed: 03/02/2016 Page: 1 
2

in certain circumstances. United States v. Mitchell, 518 F.3d 740, 750 (10th Cir 2008). 

This power is limited and should not be invoked unless judicial resources and 

administration are implicated and the delay has been inordinate. Id.

Under the circumstances of this case, dismissal of this appeal as untimely is 

appropriate. Mr. Garcia Hernandez’s notice of appeal, filed five months after entry of the 

district court’s order denying his motion for sentence reduction, was inordinately late. 

Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed.

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

Entered for the Court

ELISABETH A. SHUMAKER, Clerk

by: Jane K. Castro

 Counsel to the Clerk

Appellate Case: 16-5017 Document: 01019579916 Date Filed: 03/02/2016 Page: 2