Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-16-02017/USCOURTS-ca10-16-02017-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Benito Martinez-Rodriguez
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

_________________________________ 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff - Appellee, 

v. 

BENITO MARTINEZ-RODRIGUEZ, 

a/k/a Oscar Martinez-Rodriguez, a/k/a 

Roberto Guzman, a/k/a Fred A. Lopez, 

a/k/a Agapito Flores, a/k/a Ruben Galvan, 

a/k/a Rueben Galvan, a/k/a Ruben GalvanDelgado, a/k/a Benito Rodriguez-Martinez, 

 Defendant - Appellant. 

No. 16-2017 

(D.C. No. 2:14-CR-00122-KG-1) 

(D. N.M.) 

_________________________________ 

ORDER

_________________________________ 

Before BACHARACH, PHILLIPS, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges. 

_________________________________ 

Benito Martinez-Rodriguez, proceeding pro se, appeals the judgment entered in 

his criminal case on June 11, 2015. Mr. Martinez-Rodriguez filed his notice of appeal on 

January 22, 2016. 

In a criminal case, a defendant’s notice of appeal must be filed in the district court 

within 14 days after entry of the judgment. Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A). The timely filing 

of a notice of appeal by the defendant is an inflexible claim-processing rule that may be 

forfeited if not properly raised by the government. United States v. Garduño, 506 F.3d 

1287, 1290-91 (10th Cir. 2007). However, because Rule 4(b) implicates important 

FILED 

United States Court of Appeals 

Tenth Circuit 

January 27, 2016

Elisabeth A. Shumaker 

Clerk of Court

Appellate Case: 16-2017 Document: 01019561272 Date Filed: 01/27/2016 Page: 1 
2 

judicial interests beyond those of the parties, the court may raise the time bar sua sponte

in certain circumstances. United States v. Mitchell, 518 F.3d 740, 750 (10th Cir 2008). 

This power is limited and should not be invoked unless judicial resources and 

administration are implicated and the delay has been inordinate. Id.

Under the circumstances of this case, dismissal of this appeal as untimely is 

appropriate. Mr. Martinez-Rodriguez’s notice of appeal, filed more than seven months 

after judgment was entered, was inordinately late. Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed. 

A copy of this order shall stand as and for the mandate of the court. 

Entered for the Court 

ELISABETH A. SHUMAKER, Clerk 

by: Jane K. Castro 

 Counsel to the Clerk 

Appellate Case: 16-2017 Document: 01019561272 Date Filed: 01/27/2016 Page: 2