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Parties Involved:
Faith Blake
Appellant
Michael Smith
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

for the Fifth Circuit ____________

No. 24-10249

Summary Calendar

____________

Faith Blake, 

Petitioner—Appellant,

versus

Michael Smith, Warden, Federal Medical Center-Carswell, 

Respondent—Appellee.

______________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court 

for the Northern District of Texas

USDC No. 4:23-CV-238

______________________________

Before Jones, Dennis, and Southwick, Circuit Judges.

Per Curiam:*

Faith Blake, federal prisoner # 73053-279, appeals the dismissal of a 

28 U.S.C. § 2241 petition challenging her convictions and sentences for two 

counts of conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances and one 

count of failure to appear. We review the district court’s factual findings for 

_____________________

* This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

December 30, 2024

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

Case: 24-10249 Document: 32-1 Page: 1 Date Filed: 12/30/2024
No. 24-10249

2

clear error and its legal conclusions de novo. Jeffers v. Chandler, 253 F.3d 827, 

830 (5th Cir. 2001).

To proceed with her challenge under § 2241, Blake must satisfy the 

“‘savings clause’” of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(e) by showing that “unusual 

circumstances make it impossible or impracticable to seek relief in the 

sentencing court.” Jones v. Hendrix, 599 U.S. 465, 478 (2023). She has 

abandoned any argument that she has satisfied the savings clause by failing to 

brief it adequately before this court. See Yohey v. Collins, 985 F.2d 222, 224-

25 (5th Cir. 1993). To the extent Blake contends that she is actually innocent, 

she has not established that actual innocence provides a gateway for review 

of claims raised in a § 2241 petition. See McQuiggin v. Perkins, 569 U.S. 383, 

386 (2013); Schlup v. Delo, 513 U.S. 298, 315 (1995).

The district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.

Case: 24-10249 Document: 32-1 Page: 2 Date Filed: 12/30/2024