N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
UNITED STATES OF AM ERIC A,

Pla i ntiff-Appe lle e , v. M IC HAEL HALL,

De fe nda nt-Appe l la

nt. No. 17-16166

D.C . Nos. 2:16-c v-01453-JAD

2:12-c r-00132-JAD- C W H-3
M EM O R ANDUM *
Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ne v a da Je nnife r A. Dorse y , Distric t Judge , Pre s iding Argue d a nd Subm itte d April 13, 2021 San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : M c KEOW

N, R A W LINSON, a

nd B ADE, C irc uit Judge s. M ic ha e l Ha ll (Ha l l) a

ppe a ls thedistric t c ourt’ s orde r de ny ing his mo tion to
va c ate , se t a side , or c orre c t his se nte n c e pursua nt to 28 U.S.C . § 2255 (§ 2255). Ha ll c onte nds tha

t the distric t c ourt e rre d in holding tha t his c onvic tion for robbe ry



# FIL ED
APR 23 2021 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.in viola

tion of the Hobbs Ac t wa s a c rim e of viole nc e unde r 18 U.S.C
. § 924(c ). 1 C ontra ry to thegove rnm e nt’ s a sse rtions, Ha ll’ s c ha l le nge to his sente nc e is not ba rre d by the c olla te ra l atta c k wa ive r in his ple a a g re e m e nt or his unc onditional guilty ple a . S e e Unite d State

s v . Torre s , 828 F.3d 1113, 1125 (9th C ir. 2016) (c onc l uding tha

t a wa ive r of a

ppe a l rights doe s “ not a

pply if a de fe nda nt’ s se nte nc e is ille ga l” ) (c i tations a

nd inte rna l quota

tion m a rks om itte d). The gove rnm e nt
wa ive d its proc e d

ura l de fa ult a rgum e nt by fa iling to raise it in thedistric t c ourt. Se eUnite d State

s v . Sw ishe r , 811 F.3d 299, 307 (9th C ir. 2016) (e n ba nc ) (e xpla ining tha

t “ [a ] lthough fe d e ra l prisone rs a re ge n e ra lly

ba rre d from ra ising
c la im s on c olla

te ra l re vie w tha

t the y c o uld ha ve ra ise d on dire c t a

ppe a l, the gove rnm e nt c an

wa ive a proc e dura l de fa

ult de fe n se by

fa iling to raise it” ) (c ita

tions
om i tte d). 2 B e c a

use the re are no jurisdic tiona l or proc e dura l im pe dim e nts to our
re vie w, we have jurisdic tion pursua nt to 28 U.S.C . § 2253(a), an d we a ffirm the distric t c o urt’ s de n ia l of Ha ll’ s § 2255 motion. Ha ll’ s a sse rtion tha

t Hobbs Ac t robbe ry

is not a c rim e of viole nc e unde r 18

1 Ha ll a lso m a i nta ine d

tha t 18 U.S.C . § 924(c )(3)(B ) (the re sidua l c la use ) wa s inva lida

te d by J ohnson v . Unite d State

s , 576 U.S. 591 (2015). The gove rnm e nt ha s c onc e de d tha t the re sidua l c la

u se is no longer va lid in light of Unite d State s v . Dav is , 139 S. C t. 2319 (2019). 2 The gove rnm e nt a

ba ndone d its c onte ntion tha t Ha l l fa ile d to tim e ly

file his § 2255 m otion. 2U.S.C . § 924(c )(3)(A) is fore c lose d by our pre c e de nt. Se eUnite d State s v . Domingue

z , 954 F.3d 1251, 1261 (9th C ir. 2020) (a ffirm ing tha t “ Hobbs Ac t robbe ry is a c rim e of viole nc e unde r 18 U.S.C . § 924(c )(3)(A)” ). 3 Ha ll’ s c onte ntion tha

t a iding a nd a be tting Hobbs Act robbe ry is not a c rim e of viole nc e is a lso una

v a iling. “Aiding a

nd a be tting is not a

se pa rate offe nse ; it is sim ply one m e a ns of c om m itting the

unde rly ing c rim e .” Orte ga-Lope z v . Barr , 978 F.3d 680, 687 n.9 (9th C i r. 2020) (c i tation a n d inte rna l quota

tion m arks
om i tte d). B e c a

use Hobbs Ac t robbe ry

is a c rim e of viole nc e , se eDomingue z , 954 F.3d at 1260-61, “ [a ] pe rson who a ids or a be ts [Hobbs Ac t robbe ry ] fa lls, likea princ ipa l , within the

sc ope of the ge ne ric de finition of the unde rly ing offe nse .” Orte ga-Lope z , 978 F.3d a

t 687 n.9 (c ita

tion a nd inte rna l quota

tion m a rks omitte d). Thus, Ha ll’ s “ a iding a

nd a be tting lia b ility doe s not a lte r the c ate goric a l a pproa c h
ana ly sis,” and he wa s prope rly se nte n c e d unde r 18 U.S.C . § 924(c )(1)(A)(ii) for
c om m itting a c rim e of viole nc e . Id. ; se ealso United State s v . He nry , 984 F.3d 1343, 1356 (9th C ir. 2021) (sta t ing tha t we have “ re p e ate dly

uphe ld § 924(c )

3 Ha ll c onte nds tha

t Domingue

z wa s wrongly

de c ide d, a

nd tha t it c ontra ve ne s Unite d State

s v . Grise l , 488 F.3d 844 (9th C ir. 2007) (e n ba n c ), abrogate d on othe r grounds by Unite d State

s v . Stitt , 139 S. C t. 399, 407 (2018), and De sc amps v . Unite d State

s , 570 U.S. 254 (2013). Howe v e r,“ [o] ur c i rc uit’ s publishe d opinions on the la w a re a uthorita tive onc e issue d a

nd re m a in binding on subse q ue nt pa n e ls of this c o urt.” Lange rev . Ve rizon W ire le ss Se rv s., LLC, 983 F.3d 1115, 1121 (9th C ir. 2020) (c ita tion omitte d). 3c onvic tions ba s e d on a c c om plic e lia b ility ,” and re c ogniz i ng tha t “ the First, Third, Sixth, Te nth, a

nd Ele ve nth C i rc uits ha

ve a ll he ld tha

t a iding a n d a be tting Hobbs Ac t robbe ry

. . . is a c rim e of viole nc e unde r § 924(c )(3)(A)” ) (c ita tions omitte d). 4 AFFIRM E D.

4 The pa rtie s disa gre e whe the r Ha ll wa ive d the issueof whe the r a iding a nd a be tting Hobbs Act robbe ry is a c rim e of viole nc e . W e e xe rc ise our disc re tion to a ddre s s this que s tion of la w. Se eDomingue

z , 954 F.3d a

t 1256 (c o nc luding tha

t “ whe the r Hobbs Ac t robbe ry , atte m pte d Hobbs Ac t robbe ry , a nd c onspira c y

to c om m it Hobbs Ac t robbe ry

are c rim e s of viole nc e are pure que stions of la w, a nd the g ove rnm e nt, whic h . . . fully brie fe d the issue , suffe r[e d] no pre judic e ” ) (c ita tion omitte d); se ealso C

ommunity House , Inc . v . C ity of Boise , 623 F.3d 945, 968 (9th C i r. 2010) (e xpla ining tha t “ we m ay

e xe rc ise our disc re tion to c onside r an issue first ra ise d on a

ppe a l if it is a pure que stion of la w a n d the re c ord is suffic ie nt to re vie w the issue ” ) (c ita tion a nd inte rna l quota

tion m arks om itte d). 4