Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-09-50647/USCOURTS-ca5-09-50647-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Francisco Torres-Lopez
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

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.

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 09-50647

Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

FRANCISCO TORRES-LOPEZ, also known as Francisco Javier Torres-Lopez,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Western District of Texas

USDC No. 2:08-CR-928-1

Before SMITH, PRADO, and HAYNES, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

The attorney appointed to represent Francisco Torres-Lopez has moved for

leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California,

386 U.S. 738 (1967). Torres-Lopez has filed a response. The record is

insufficiently developed to allow consideration at this time of Torres-Lopez’s

claims of ineffective assistance of counsel; such claims generally “cannot be

resolved on direct appeal when [they have] not been raised before the district

court since no opportunity existed to develop the record on the merits of the

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

April 23, 2010

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 09-50647 Document: 00511090695 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/23/2010
No. 09-50647

2

allegations.” United States v. Cantwell, 470 F.3d 1087, 1091 (5th Cir. 2006)

(internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Our independent review of the

record, counsel’s brief, and Torres-Lopez’s response discloses no nonfrivolous

issue for appeal. Accordingly, counsel’s motion for leave to withdraw is

GRANTED, counsel is excused from further responsibilities herein, and the

APPEAL IS DISMISSED. See 5TH CIR. R. 42.2. Torres-Lopez’s motion to strike

counsel’s brief and for the appointment of new counsel is DENIED. Cf. United

States v. Wagner, 158 F.3d 901, 902-03 (5th Cir. 1998). His motion for leave to

file a supplemental brief is GRANTED.

 Case: 09-50647 Document: 00511090695 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/23/2010