Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-10-01523/USCOURTS-ca8-10-01523-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Tracy Alan Barnett
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 10-1523

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Southern District of Iowa.

Tracy Alan Barnett, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: August 6, 2010

Filed: August 11, 2010

___________

Before BYE, BOWMAN, and COLLOTON, Circuit Judges.

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PER CURIAM.

Tracy Barnett, who is serving a 20-year sentence for child-pornography

offenses, appeals the district court’s1

 order effectively denying his request for a copy

of an exhibit used at his sentencing hearing. He argues that he needs the exhibit to

prepare a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion. 

Upon careful review, we find no basis for reversal because it is undisputed that

Barnett had not filed a section 2255 motion at the time he requested the exhibit. See

1

The Honorable John A. Jarvey, United States District Judge for the Southern

District of Iowa.

Appellate Case: 10-1523 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/11/2010 Entry ID: 3692493
United States v. Losing, 601F.2d 351, 351-53 (8th Cir. 1979) (per curiam) (where

appellant filed motion in district court requesting records and transcript from his

criminal trial for purpose of eventually filing § 2255 motion, district court denied

motion as premature and this court affirmed). We also decline to address Barnett’s

First Amendment argument. See United States v. Turechek, 138 F.3d 1226, 1229 (8th

Cir. 1998) (federal courts have duty to avoid constitutional issues that need not be

resolved in order to determine rights of parties in case under consideration).

Accordingly, the district court’s order is affirmed. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.

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Appellate Case: 10-1523 Page: 2 Date Filed: 08/11/2010 Entry ID: 3692493