Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-19-40928/USCOURTS-ca5-19-40928-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Frank Edwin Pate
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 19-40928

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

FRANK EDWIN PATE,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of Texas

USDC No. 4:14-CR-125-1

Before HAYNES, GRAVES, and ENGELHARDT, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Frank Edwin Pate was convicted by jury verdict of two counts of wire 

fraud and one count of mail fraud. In an amended judgment issued in May 

2016, the district court sentenced Pate to a total term of 168 months of 

imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and $2,829,586.84 

restitution. In June 2017, we granted the Government’s motion to dismiss 

Pate’s direct appeal from that judgment.

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

April 2, 2020

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

Case: 19-40928 Document: 00515370541 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/02/2020
No. 19-40928

2

Over three years after entry of that amended judgment, Pate filed a

second notice of appeal challenging that same judgment. He now moves this 

court for the appointment of counsel. We may dismiss an appeal when 

considering an interlocutory motion if the appeal “is frivolous and entirely 

without merit.” 5TH CIR. R. 42.2. Pate is not entitled to two appeals, so his 

second appeal from the same conviction is “not properly before this Court.” 

United States v. Arlt, 567 F.2d 1295, 1296-97 (5th Cir. 1978); accord United 

States v. Rodriguez, 821 F.3d 632, 633-34 (5th Cir. 2016). A defendant is 

entitled to the appointment of counsel only for his first direct appeal. See 

Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551, 555 (1987).

Pate’s motion for appointment of counsel is DENIED, and the appeal is 

DISMISSED as frivolous. See 5TH CIR. R. 42.2.

Case: 19-40928 Document: 00515370541 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/02/2020