Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-15-01001/USCOURTS-ca8-15-01001-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Michael Steven Chaney
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

For the Eighth Circuit

___________________________

No. 15-1001

___________________________

United States of America

lllllllllllllllllllll Plaintiff - Appellee

v.

Michael Steven Chaney

lllllllllllllllllllll Defendant - Appellant

____________

Appeal from United States District Court 

for the Eastern District of Missouri - St. Louis

____________

 Submitted: January 11, 2016

 Filed: April 11, 2016

[Unpublished]

____________

Before MURPHY, SMITH, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

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PER CURIAM.

Michael Steven Chaney appeals from the district court's denial of his motion

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for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10, and

The Honorable Audrey G. Fleissig, United States District Judge for the

1

Eastern District of Missouri.

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Amendment 782 to the United States Sentencing Guidelines. We dismiss Chaney's

appeal as untimely. 

I. Background

The district court denied Chaney's motion for a sentence reduction on

December 2, 2014. On December 22, 2014, more than 14 days after entry of the order

denying the sentence reduction, the district court docketed Chaney's pro se notice of

appeal. Chaney's notice provided, "I would like to put in for Notice of Appeal

regarding sentence reduction pursuant to 18 U[.]S[.]C[.] § 3582(c)(2). Thank you[,]

Michael Chaney[,] 12-15-14."

II. Discussion

The government requests that we dismiss the instant appeal as untimely

because Chaney failed to file his notice of appeal within 14 days of the district court's

entry of the order denying Chaney's motion for a sentence reduction. See Fed. R.

App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)(i) ("In a criminal case, a defendant's notice of appeal must be filed

in the district court within 14 days after . . . the entry of either the judgment or the

order being appealed."); United States v. Watson, 623 F.3d 542, 546 (8th Cir. 2010)

(explaining that even though this court "retain[s] jurisdiction over an untimely appeal

froma criminal judgment, Rule 4(b)'s timeliness requirementsremain inflexible" and

that when the government has "properly objected to the appeal . . . it is entitled to

dismissal" (citations omitted)). 

Pursuant to Rule 4(b)(1)(A)(i), Chaney's notice of appeal was due on December

16, 2014. But, as an inmate confined in an institution, Chaney can benefit from the

prison mailbox rule, set forth in Rule 4(c)(1):

If an inmate confined in an institution files a notice of appeal in either

a civil or a criminal case, the notice is timely if it is deposited in the

institution's internal mail system on or before the last day for filing. If

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an institution has a system designed for legal mail, the inmate must use

that system to receive the benefit of this rule. Timely filing may be

shown by a declaration in compliance with 28 U.S.C. § 1746 or by a

notarized statement, either of which must set forth the date of deposit

and state that first-class postage has been prepaid.

(Emphases added.)

In turn, 28 U.S.C. § 1746(2) provides:

Wherever, under any law of the United States or under any rule,

regulation, order, or requirement made pursuant to law, any matter is

required or permitted to be supported, evidenced, established, or proved

by the sworn declaration, verification, certificate, statement, oath, or

affidavit, in writing of the person making the same (other than a

deposition, or an oath of office, or an oath required to be taken before

a specified official other than a notary public), such matter may, with

like force and effect, be supported, evidenced, established, or proved by

the unsworn declaration, certificate, verification, orstatement, in writing

of such person which is subscribed by him, as true under penalty of

perjury, and dated, in substantially the following form:

***

(2) If executed within the United States, its territories, possessions, or

commonwealths: "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of

perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.["] Executed on (date).

Chaney's notice of appeal does not comply with Rule 4(c)(1). Even assuming

that "12-15-14" represents the date on which Chaney deposited the notice of appeal

into the prison's internal mail system, Chaney failed to show timely filing by

executing "a declaration in compliance with 28 U.S.C. § 1746 or by a notarized

statement." Fed. R. App. P. 4(c)(1). Chaney also did not "state that first-class postage

has been prepaid." Id. Chaney has not offered any argument showing "excusable

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neglect or good cause for failing to timely file his notice of appeal." See United States

v. Carter, 404 F. App'x 95, 97 (8th Cir. 2010) (per curiam) (footnote omitted). As a

result, Chaney cannot avail himself of the benefits of the prison mailbox rule and his

notice of appeal filed on December 22, 2014, is untimely.

III. Conclusion

Accordingly, we dismiss for lack of a timely appeal. 

______________________________

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