C L D

- 0 4 1 NOT PRECE DENTIAL

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE T HIRD CIRCUIT

___________

No. 2 2

- 3 0 3 8

___________

IN RE: D O N T E P A R R I S H

,

Petitioner

__ __________________________________

On a Petitio n for Writ of Mandamus from the

United States District Court for the M i d d l e D i s t r i c t o f P e n n s y l v a n i a

( M.D. Pa. Crim. No. 1:05

- cr

- 00417

- 001 )

_______________________ _____________

Submitted Pursuant to Rule 21, Fed. R. App. P.

D e c e m b e r 1

, 2 0 2 2

Before: G R E E N A W A Y

, J R

. , M A T E Y

, a n d F R E E M A N

, Circuit Judges

(Op inion filed : February 6, 2023 )

_________

OPINION *

_________

PER CURIAM

D o n t e P a r r i s h pleaded guilty to being in possession of a firearm related to drug

trafficking, in viola tion of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). C l a s s i f i e d a s a “ c a r e e r o f

f e n d e r

, ” P a r r i s h

w a s s u b j e c t t o a n a d v i s o r y G u i d e l i n e s s e n t e n c i n g r a n g e o f 2 6 2 t o 3 2 7 m o n t h s o f

i m p r i s o n m e n t

. The District Court i m p o s e d a b e l o w

- G u i d e l i n e s sentence o f 180 months

,

* This disposition is not an opinion of the fu ll Court and pursua nt to I.O.P. 5.7 does n ot

c onstitute binding pr ecedent.2

to run concurrent with a state sentence P a r r i s h was serving. T h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t a l s o

i m p o s e d a t e r m o f t h r e e y e a r s o f s u p e r v i s e d r e l e a s e

.

T h i s C o u r t a f

f i r m e d P a r r i s h ’ s c o n v i c t i o n a n d s e n t e n c e o n d i r e c t a p p e a l

. S e e United

States v. Parrish , 287 F. App ’ x 990, 992 (3d Cir. 2008)

. P a r r i s h ’ s f i r s t m o t i o n u n d e r 2 8

U

. S

. C

. § 2 2 5 5 t o v a c a t e h i s s e n t e n c e w a s d e n i e d

.

Y e a r s l a t e r

, w e g r a n t e d P a r r i s h ’ s m o t i o n u n d e r 2 8 U

. S

. C

. § 2 2 4 4 f o r a u t h o r i z a t i o n

t o f i l e a s e c o n d o r s u c c e s s i v e § 2 2 5 5 m o t i o n

. C o u n s e l f o r P a r r i s h t h e n f

i l e d w i t h t h e

D i s t r i c t C o u r t a “ J o i n t Motion for a R e d u c t i o n o f S e n t e n c e

. ” I n t h a t m o t i o n

, c o u n s e l

a r t i c u l a t e d t h e f

o l l o w i n g a g r e e m e n t w i t h t h e G o v e r n m e n t :

¶ 2 4

. “ In an effort to resolv e all pend ing matters in this case, the parties

have agreed that under these unique circu mstances, Mr. Parrish should

rece ive a reduction in his sentence to 167 months

. ”

¶ 2 5

. “ T he p arti es agree that upon the imposition of a sentence of 167

months, the pr o se petit ion for writ of audita querela, and the counseled

motion

. . . under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 , should be dismissed as mo o t and case

number 1:16

- C [ V ]

- 01363 should be closed

. ”

D C E C F N o

. 1 0 5 a t 5 ( d o c k e t c i t a t i o n s o m i t t e d )

.

T h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t g r a n t e d t h e j o i n t m o t i o n a n d r e d u c e d P a r r i s h ’ s “ p r e v i o u s l y

i m p o s e d sentence o f i m p r i s o n m e n t o f 1 8 0 m o n t h s

. . . t o 1 6 7 m o n t h s

. ” D C E C F N o

. 1 0 6

.

T h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t d i d s o b y o r d e r e n t e r e d o n J a n u a r y 2 9

, 2 0 2 0

. A n a m e n d e d j u d g m e n t

w a s e n t e r e d t h a t s a m e d a y

. 1

1 It appears that P ar ris h was released from federal prison on or about March 24, 202 0

, and

tra ns ferred to State c ustody at that tim e pursuan t to a detainer from the Pennsylvania3

N o w

, a l m o s t t h r e e y e a r s l a t e r

, P a r r i s h h a s f i l e d a p r o s e p e t i t i o n f

o r a w r i t o f

m a n d a m u s

. W i t h t h a t p e t i t i o n

, P a r r i s h : e v i n c e s a m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e C o u r t ’ s o r d e r

g r a n t i n g h i s § 2 2 4 4 m o t i o n ( a n d n o o t h e r r e l i e f ) ; d e m a n d s t h a t t h e G o v e r n m e n t r e s p o n d

t o t h e a l r e a d y

- d i s m i s s e d s e c o n d

- o r

- s u c c e s s i v e § 2 2 5 5 m o t i o n ; a n d c h a l l e n g e s t h e D i s t r i c t

C o u r t ’ s a m e n d e d j u d g m e n t f o r m a l i z i n g t h e n e g o t i a t e d s e n t e n c e

. 2

M andamus is a “ dr astic remedy ” reserve d for “ e xt rao rdi nary cir cumstances

, ” In re

Diet Drug s P rod s

. L iab. Liti g. , 418 F. 3d 372, 37 8 (3d Cir. 2005 )

— c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h a t a r e

n o t p r e s e n t e d i n t h i s c a s e

. I n d e e d

, P a r r i s h f a i l s t o m a k e a n y o f t h e required showing s :

“ that (1) no other ad equate means [exist] t o at tain the relie f he desires, (2) the party ’ s

right to issuance of the wr it is clea r and indisputable, and (3) the writ is appropriate under

the circumstances. ” Holli ngsworth v. Perry , 558 U.S. 183, 190 (2010) (per curiam)

( citatio n a n d i n t e r n a l q u o t a t i o n m a r k s o m i t t e d ) ; s e e a l s o Okereke v. United States , 307

F.3d 117, 120 (3d Cir. 2002) ( “ Motions pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 are the presumptive

means by which fe deral prisoners can challenge their convictions or sentences that are

allegedly in violation o f th e Constitution

. ” ) ; Westinghou se Ele c. Corp. v. R epublic of

Board of P r obation and Parole

. Although Parrish indicates, as recently as mid

- November

2022 , that he i s incarce rated at the York County P rison , he also asserts that he is on

supervised release

, s ee Doc . 1

- 2 at 3 , 5 , pursuant to the District C o urt ’ s amended

judgment, see DC ECF No. 107

. We need not reso lve that apparent incongruity here

.

2 Parrish has also filed a “ Moti on to Proceed on the Original Record

. ” In asmuch as

P arrish is simply requestin g th at his mand amus petition be considered in light of the

record in the District Court with respect to his f ederal criminal case , the moti o n is

granted.4

Philip pi nes

, 951 F.2d 1414

, 1422 ( 3d Cir. 1991 ) ( r e c o g n i z i n g t h e w e l l

- s e t t l e d r u l e t h a t

m a n d a m u s i s n o t a s u b s t i t u t e f o r t h e n o r m a l a p p e l l a t e p r o c e s s )

. A c c o r d i n g l y

, t h e

m a n d a m u s p e t i t i o n w i l l b e d e n i e d

.