T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. J AME S B R E T T Z I MM E R MAN, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 11- 17471 D. C . No s . 3 : 0 8 - c v - 0 0 2 0 3 - L R HV PC 3 : 0 5 - c r - 0 0 2 4 1 - L R HV PC ME MOR AN DU M * A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt

f orthe D i s tr i c tof

N e va da L a rry R . H i c ks , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d N ove m be r9, 2012 ** S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: F A R R IS , N O O N A N , an d B Y B E E , C i rcu i tJu d g es. J a m e s B r e ttZ i m m e rm a n appe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de ni a l of hi s pe t i t i on f

or habe a s c orpus . W e r e vi e w the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de ni a l of a28 U . S . C . § 2255 m ot i on 

# FI LED NO V 16 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

d e n o v o , U

ni te d State s v . G am ba , 541 F . 3d 895, 898 ( 9th C i r . 2008) , a nd now a f f i rm. Z i m m erm an , w h o w as p rev i o u sl y co n v i ct ed o f fel o n y ro b b ery an d b u rg l ary, p le a d e d g u iltyto o n e c o u n t o f b a n kr o b b e ry a n d w a s s e n te n c e d to ap r is o n te rm . D uri ng the pl eanego t i at i on s, the go vernm entprom i se d n ott o p ursue afe dera l th r e e s tr ik e s c h a r g e in e x c h a n g e f o rZ im m e rm a n ’s g u iltyp le a . See 1 8 U .S .C . § 3559( c ) ( 1) ( A ) ( de f

e nda nt s c onvi c t e d of

as e r i ous vi ol e ntf

e l ony w ho ha ve previ ou sl y bee n con vi ct ed of atl ea sttw o add i t i on al se ri ou s vi ol entfe l on i es ar e su b ject to li fe im p riso n m en t). Z im m er m an n o w claim s th at th e g o v er n m en t’ s pr om i s e w a s i l l us ory be c aus e he di d notus e orthr e a t e n t o us e af i r e a rm or dang er ou s w eapo n d uri ng hi s r ob beri es , and there fore qu al i fi es for ast atut ory e x c e p tio n to th e th r e e s tr ik e s ru le . Se e id . § 3 5 5 9 ( c ) ( 3 ) ( A ) . Z i m m e rm a n i s m i s t a ke n. B e c aus e he ha d m or e tha n tw o pr i ors e r i ous vi ol entfe l on y c on vi ct i on s, the go vernm entcoul d h ave c harged hi m un der the three s tr ik e s s ta tu te . Se e id . § 3559( c ) ( 1) ( A ) . Z i m m e rm a n w oul d the n ha ve ha d the bur de n of

pr ovi ng tha the qua l i f

i e d f orthe e xc e pt i on. T he e xi s t e nc e of the e xc e pt i on m a ke s no di f

f e r e nc e t o the gove rnm e nt ’ s c ha r gi ng de c i s i on. See U ni ted State s v . Kaluna , 1 9 2 F . 3 d 1 1 8 8 , 1 1 9 6 (9 th C i r. 1 9 9 9 ). T h e g o v ern m en t ’ s p ro m i se n o tt o p u rsu e a th ree-stri k es ch arg e ag ai n stZ i m m erm an w as n o ti l l u so ry.3

Z im m er m an claim s in ef fe ctiv e a ss istan ce o f c o u n se l b as ed o n h is atto rn ey ’s fa i l ure t o i nv es t i gat e hi s c ri m i nal hi st ory. P ri m ar i l y bec ause the ou t com e of athree s tr i ke s pr oc e e di ng w a s notf or e s e e abl e a tthe t i m e of the pl e ane got i a t i on, Z i m m e rm a n f

a i l s t o s how pr e

j udi c e r e s ul t i ng f

r om the a l l e ge dl y de f

i c i e nt p erfo rm an ce o f h i s att o rn ey. Se e Str i c kland v . W as hi ngton , 466 U . S . 668, 688 (198 4). B ec ause Z i m m erm an do es no tshow prej ud i ce , he i s notent i t l ed t o rel i ef . T h e d i s tr i c tc o u rti s AF F I R ME D.