Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_12-cr-00199/USCOURTS-caed-2_12-cr-00199-13/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Joe Weldon Taylor
Defendant
USA
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

United States of America,

Plaintiff,

v.

Joe Weldon Taylor,

Defendant.

No. 2:12-cr-199 MCE

STATUS REPORT REGARDING STATUS 

OF COUNSEL; ORDER

Judge: MCE

 

By minute order dated March 4, 2015, (CR 58) (counsel was out of the country 

until March 10, 2015) the Court referred Mr. Taylor's Motion for Return of Property (CR 

57) to undersigned counsel for review, and directed counsel to file a status report not 

later than April 3, 2015.

Also pending before the court is Mr. Taylor's Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, Or 

correct Sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. (CR 50). In that motion, Mr. Taylor 

alleged that he was cognitively impaired at the time of his entry of a guilty plea because 

he had taken several drugs the night beforehand "at the urging" of undersigned counsel.

In light of that accusation it is counsel's belief, shared by the Federal Public

Defender as the result of a telephone consultation between counsel and Ms. Williams on 

Case 2:12-cr-00199-DJC-CKD Document 60 Filed 03/19/15 Page 1 of 2
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March 16, 2015, that it would be improper or at least appear to be so for counsel to 

undertake any further actions as Mr. Taylor's counsel, and that the Federal Defender 

should be asked to assign alternative CJA counsel for Mr. Taylor.

For that reason it is requested that undersigned counsel be relieved of any further 

obligation to represent Mr. Taylor and that the matter be referred to the Federal 

Defender for the appointment of counsel from the Federal Defender Staff or from the 

CJA panel.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Jeffrey L. Staniels

Jeffrey L. Staniels

ORDER

In light of the circumstances set forth above, the request of Jeffrey L. Staniels to 

be relieved of further obligation to serve as counsel for the defendant is GRANTED. The 

clerk is directed to refer this matter to the Office of the Federal Defender for appointment 

of alternative CJA counsel for the defendant.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 19, 2015

Case 2:12-cr-00199-DJC-CKD Document 60 Filed 03/19/15 Page 2 of 2