P u rsuan t t o 5 T H C IR . R. 47. 5, t h e courtha s det erm i n ed that t h i s opi n i on * shou l d n otbe pu bl i shed an d i s not preceden texcept u n der t h e l i m i t ed c i r c um s t anc e s s e tf

o r t h i n 5 T H C IR . R. 47. 5. 4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

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UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA P l ai n t i f f

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Ju dg e, an d JO L L Yan d E L R O D , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * Loui s C harl es M ayes , fede r alpr i so ner# 97 437- 079, appeal s t he di sm i ss al of a po st c onvi c t i on m ot i on he s t yl ed as “M ot i on t o C orrec t/R educ e Sent enc e a s p er 2 8 U
. S

. C

. § 99 4 (n). ” H e con ten d s th a t he ren d ere d su b stan ti a lass i stan ce to t h e G overnm en tan d that t h e G overnm en ti s t h eref ore obl i gated to f

i l e a m ot i on to re d u c e h is s e n te n c e . United States Court of App eals Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D April30, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 20390

2 F ir s t, M a y e s ’ s re lia n c e o n § 9 9 4 (n ) a s ab a s is fo ra s e n t e n c e re d u c tio n is
m i sp l aced. Sect i on 994 (n ) requi res t h e U n i t ed S t ates S en t en ci n g C om m i ssi on to “assu re th a t t h e guidel i n esref l ec tthe gene r alappropr i at enes s of i m pos i ng a lo w e rs e n te n c e . . . to ta k e in to a c c o u n t a d e fe n d a n t’s s u b s ta n t ia l a s s is ta n c e .” § 994 (n ) ( em ph asi s add ed). B y i t s pl ai n l an gu age, § 994 (n ) i m poses n o du t y on t he G o ve r nm e nta s pr o s e c ut o r , o ro n t he s e nt e nc i ng c o ur t , a nd t hus pr o vi de s no b a s is fo rM a y e s ’ s m o tio n to re d u c e h is s e n te n c e . T h e G o v e r n m e n th a dn o o b li g a t io n to fi l e am o t io n to r e d u c e M a y e s ’s
s e nt e nc e und e rFe de r alRul e o f Cr i m i nalP r o c e dur e 35(b) , and i t s r e f us alt o do so i s not revi ew able u n l ess i tw as basedon an un constit u t i on alm ot ive, or u n l ess t he G o ve r nm e ntb ar ga i ne d a w ayi t s di s c r e t i o n. Se eUni t e d St at e s v . G r ant , 493 F
. 3d 464 , 467 ( 5th C i r. 200 7)

. M ayes does n otal l ege an un constit u t i on alm ot ive, andhi s m e r e c l ai m t hathe pr o vi de d s ubs t ant i ala s s i s t anc e e nt i t l e s hi m t o no
r e lie f. S ee W

ad e v. Un i t ed S t ate s , 5 0 4 U .S

. 1 8 1 , 1 8 6 (19 9 2 ). M ayes al s oc o nt e ndsthatpl e a c o uns e la nd p o s t c o nvi ct i on coun selrendered i n ef fect ive assi st an ce by fai l i n g t o faci l i t ate a s en t en ce r edu ct i on i n excha n ge f or a s s is ta n c e . T h e cla im a g a in s t p le a co u n s e l w a s ra is e da n dreje c te din 2 0 0 4 in a proceedi n g u n der 28 U
. S

. C

. § 225 5. T h e cl ai m s aga i n stpost convic t i on coun sel la c k a n yle g a l b a s is b e c a u s e M a y e s w a s n o t e n tit le dt o a n yc o u n s e l in h is p u r s u it
o f a R u le 3 5 m o tio n . S e eUn i t e dS t a t e s v . Pa lo mo , 80 F. 3d 13 8, 14 2 ( 5th C i r. 1 9 9 6 ).M ayes’ s c h al l en ge t o hi s s en t en ce w as basedon in a pp l i cabl e au t h ori t i es th a t p r o v id e n o b a s is fo rr e l i e f. T h e ju d g m e n t o f th e d is tr ic t c o u r t is AF F I RMED.