Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-09-30900/USCOURTS-ca5-09-30900-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Steven J. Mercadel
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. 09-30900

Summary Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

STEVEN J. MERCADEL,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of Louisiana

USDC No. 2:07-CR-409-1

Before JOLLY, WIENER, and ELROD, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

The Federal Public Defender appointed to represent Defendant-Appellant

Mercadel has moved for leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance

with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). Mercadel has filed responses to

the motion. The record is insufficiently developed to allow consideration at this

time of Mercadel’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

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

May 12, 2010

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 09-30900 Document: 00511108134 Page: 1 Date Filed: 05/12/2010
No. 09-30900

2

merits of the 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 Mercadel’s responses discloses no

nonfrivolous issue for appeal. Accordingly, the 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.

 Case: 09-30900 Document: 00511108134 Page: 2 Date Filed: 05/12/2010