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 a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by N i nth C i r c ui tR ul e 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).

T he H onor abl e A m y J . S t . E ve , U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge f orthe *** N or the rn D i s tr i c tof

I l l i noi s , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on. 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. M IG U E L A R A N O -M E L C H I, D e f

e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t. N o. 10- 10137 D . C . N o . 2 : 0 9 -cr-2 3 2 -R C J-R JJ ME MOR AN DU M *

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f orthe D i s tr i c tof

N e va da R obe r tC . J one s , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d M a y 13, 2011 ** S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B ef ore: O ’ S C A N N L A IN and G O U L D , C i rc ui tJudg es , and S T . E V E , D i stri ct Judg e. *** 

# FI LED JU L 08 2011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

M i gue l A r a no- M e l c hi pl e d gui l ty t o be i ng a de por t e d a l i e n f ound i n the U ni t ed S t at es , i n v i ol at i on of 8 U . S . C . § 1 32 6. H e s ub se qu ent l y s ub st i tut ed c o u n s e l a n d m o v e d to w ith d r a w h is g u ilty p le a o n th e g r o u n d th a t h e h a d n o t f u lly un ders t oo d the ri gh t s he w as gi vi ng up i n si gn i ng the pl eaagre em ent . T he di stri ct c our tde ni e d A r a no- M e l c hi ’ s m ot i on a nd s e nt e nc e d hi m t o a t e r m of 50 m onths of im p r is o n m e n t. A r a n o - M e lc h i ap p e a ls th e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s ru lin g o n h is m o tio n to wi th d r a w h i s g u i l ty p l e a . We h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U. S . C . § 1 2 9 1 , a n d we a f f i r m. W e f ir s t a d d r e s s th e g o v e rn m e n t’s c o n te n tio n th a t A r a n o - M e lc h i w a iv e d h is ri gh tt o app ea l w hen h e e nt er ed i nt o h i s gui l ty pl ea . W e r evi ew de no vo w hether a c r im in a l d e f

e n d a n t h a s w a iv e d h is s ta tu to ryr ig h t to ap p e a l. U ni ted Stat es v. J e r o n i mo , 3 9 8 F .3 d 1 1 4 9 , 1 1 5 3 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . “[ A ] d e f e n d a n t’s w a iv e ro f

h is ap p e lla te r ig h ts is e n f

o r c e ab le if

( 1 ) th e la n g u a g e o f

th e w a iv e re n c o m p a s s e s h is r i ghtt o appe a l on the gr ounds r a i s e d, a nd ( 2) the w a i ve ri s know i ngl y a nd vo l un t ar i l y m ade. ” U

n ite d S ta te s v . H

a r r is , 628 F . 3d 1203, 1205 ( 9th C i r . 2011) ( quot i ng U

ni t ed Stat es v. Cha rles , 58 1 F . 3d 92 7, 93 1 (9th C i r. 20 09 ) ( i nt ernal q u o ta tio n m a r k s o m itte d ) ) . O u rin te rp r e ta tio n o f th e te r m s o f

a p le a a g r e e m e n t is c o n tr o lle d b y th e p r in c ip le s o f c o n tr a c t la w . Id . W e w ill th e r e f o r e “g e n e r a lly e n f o r c e th e p la in la n g u a g e o f a p le a a g r e e m e n t if

it is c le a ra n d u n a m b ig u o u s o n its3

f a c e ,” c o n s tru in g a ll a m b ig u itie s a g a in s t th e g o v e rn m e n t. U ni ted Stat es v. Spe e lm an , 431 F . 3d 1226, 1231 ( 9th C i r . 2005) ( c i t i ng U ni te d State s v . Fr anc oL op ez , 31 2 F . 3d 98 4, 98 9 (9th C i r. 20 02 )) . A ran o -M el ch i ’ s p l ea ag reem en tp ro v i d es as fo l l o w s: In exchange for th e co n ce ss i on s m ade by the U ni t ed S t at es i n thi s pl ea agre em ent , the defendantkn ow i ng l y a nd expres sl y w ai ves th e ri gh tt o app ea l a ny s e nt e nc e tha ti s i m pos e d w i thi n the appl i c abl e S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne r a nge a s d e te r m in e d b y th e p a r tie s , f u r th e rw a iv e s th e r ig h t to ap p e a l t h e m a n n e rin w hi ch thatse nt ence w as det erm i ned on the grou nd s s etforth i n T i t l e 18, U ni t ed S t at es C o d e § 3 7 4 2 , an d d efen d an tal so w ai v es al l co l l at eral ch all en g es, i ncl ud i ng any c l ai m s und erT i t l e 28 U . S . C . § 2 25 5, t o hi s c on vi ct i on , se nt ence , an d th e procedure w hi ch the courtadj ud i ca t ed gu i l tand i m po se d sent ence , e x c e p t n o n - w a iv ab le c la im s o f in e f f e c tiv e a s s is ta n c e o f

c o u n s e l. T he pl e a a gr e e m e nti s s i l e nton A r a no- M e l c hi ’ s r i ghtt o c ha l l e nge hi s c onvi c t i on on di re ctappeal . B ec ause w e do n oti nt erpret“ col l at er al chal l enge” t o i ncl ud e a d ir e c t ap p e a l, se e Spe e lm an , 43 1 F . 3d at12 30 , the pl eaagre em ent ’ s w ai ver p r o v is io n d o e s n o t b a rA r a n o - M e lc h i’s p r e s e n t ap p e a l. W e th u s p r o c e e d to c o n s id e rits m e r it. A r a no- M e l c hi c ont e nds tha tne w c i r c um s t a nc e s — hi s pe r c e pt i on tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tc onc e a l e d r e s e r va t i ons aboutgi vi ng c r i m i na l de f e nda nt s c r e di tf

or tim e s e r v e d

— p r e s e n t a f a ira n d ju s t r e a s o n to g r a n t h is m o tio n to w ith d r a w h is gu i l ty pl ea . B ec ause A ra no -M el chi di d n otra i se thi s a rgum entbefore the di stri ct c o u r t, w e r e v ie w h is c la im f o rp la in e rr o r . See U

n i ted S ta tes v. D a ven

p o rt , 519D uri ng thatcol l oq uy, the go vernm entre ci t ed the t erm s of the pl ea 1 agre em ent , i ncl ud i ng the part i es ’ agre em entno tt o see k any vari ance or departures fr om the S ent enci ng G ui del i nes, and the part i es ’ j oi ntre qu es tthatthe di stri ctcourt g r a n t A r a n o - M e lc h i e le v e n m o n th s c r e d it f o rtim e h e h a d s e r v e d in c u s to d y w h ile u n d e ra n im m ig r a tio n d e ta in e r . T h e g o v e rn m e n t s p e c if ic a lly n o te d th a t, in ag reei n g t o th atco m p ro m i se, A ran o -M el ch i w as “ l o s[i n g ] o u t ” o n th e ab i l i ty t o ask the di s tr i c tc our tt o gi ve hi m c r e di tf orthe f ul l a m ount– tw e nty - tw o m onths – of t i m e he ha d s e r ve d w hi l e unde rthe i m m i gr a t i on de t a i ne r . A tthe c onc l us i on of the col l oq uy, A ra no -M el chi confi rm ed thathe un ders t oo d the t erm s of the pl ea agre em ent , thathe had d i sc usse d the agree m entw i th h i s a tt orney, thathi s a tt orney ha d e xpl a i ne d the a dvi s ory na tur e of the S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s t o hi m , a nd tha the unde r s t ood tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tw oul d r e t a i n f ul l di s c r e t i on i n de t e r m i ni ng the appr opr i a t e s e nt e nc e t o i m pos e . A tthe c onc l us i on of the R ul e 11 c ol l oquy , the di s tr i c tc our tde t e r m i ne d tha tA r a no- M e l c hi ’ s gui l ty pl e a w a s know i ng a nd v o l u n t ary. 4 F . 3d 94 0, 94 3 (9th C i r. 20 08 ). U nd erthe pl ai n err or st andard of U ni ted Stat es v. O lano , 507 U . S . 725, 730- 36 ( 1993) , w e m us ta f f i r m the di s tr i c tc our t ’ s rul i ng un l es s: (1) there has bee n an err or i n the proceedi ng s bel ow ; (2) the error w as p l ai n ; (3 ) i taffected su b st an t i al ri g h t s; an d (4 ) i tseri o u sl y affected the fairness, in te g r ity , o rp u b lic r e p u ta tio n o f ju d ic ia l p r o c e e d in g s . Id . a t733. T he di s tr i c tc our tc onduc t e d a thor ough c ol l oquy pur s ua ntt o F e de r a l R ul e of C r im in a l P r o c e d u r e 1 1 b e f o r e a c c e p tin g A r a n o - M e lc h i’s g u ilty p le a . P r io rto 1 s e n te n c in g , A r a n o - M e lc h i s u b s titu te d c o u n s e l a n d m o v e d to w ith d r a w h is g u ilty pl eaon the grou nd thathe had n otun ders t oo d h i s r i gh t s w hen h e s i gn ed the pl ea a gr e e m e nt . S pe c i f

i c a l l y , A r a no- M e l c hi s t a t e d f orthe f i r s tt i m e tha thi s pr e vi ous l a w y e rha d note xpl a i ne d hi s r i ghtt o r e que s tc r e di tf orthe f ul l tw e nty - tw o m onths5

he had served u nd eran i m m i grat i on det ai ner, or hi s r i gh tt o requesta dow nw ar d departure f

rom the S ent enci ng G ui del i nes, and thathe had thu s unk no w i ng l y gi ven up thos e r i ght s i n s i gni ng the pl e a a gr e e m e nt . A r a no- M e l c hi “ bor e the bur de n of dem on stra t i ng a ‘ fa i r a nd j ustre as on ’ for hi s r equest . ” U ni te d State s v . B r i

ggs , 623 F .3 d 7 2 4 , 7 2 8 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) ( q u o tin g F e d . R . C r im . P . 1 1 ( d ) ( 2 ) ( B ) ) . B e f or e rul i ng on A r a no- M e l c hi ’ s m ot i on t o w i thdr a w hi s gui l ty pl e a , the d i stri ctco u rtco n d u ct ed a h eari n g o n th e m o t i o n an d h eard t est i m o n y fro m h i s fi rst la w y e r . S h e te s tif

ie d th a t s h e h a d f

u lly d is c u s s e d A r a n o - M e lc h i’s o p tio n s w ith h im dur i ng the i rne got i a t i on w i th the gove rnm e nt , a nd tha ts he ha d e xpl a i ne d t o A r a noM el chi thathe coul d requestful l cr edi tfor t i m e s erved, bu tthati tw as un l i kel y that the di stri ctcourtw ou l d g ra ntthatre qu es tgi ven h i s c ri m i nal hi st ory. S he st at ed tha tdur i ng tha tdi s c us s i on, s he ha d i nf or m e d A r a no- M e l c hi tha tr e ga r dl e s s of the pa r t i e s ’ r e que s t , the di s tr i c tc our tw oul d e xe r c i s e f ul l di s c r e t i on i n de t e r m i ni ng w hether a nd t o w hatext entt o g ra nthi m cr edi tfor t i m e s erved. S he al so t es t i fi ed th a t s h e h a d e x p la in e d to A r a n o - M e lc h i w h a t h e w a s g iv in g u p b y a g r e e in g n o t to s e e k a dow nw a r d de pa r tur e f r om the a dvi s ory S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s . A r a noM e l c hi di d nott e s t i f

y a tthe m ot i on he a r i ng, a nd pr e s e nt e d no e vi de nc e t o the c o n tr a ry . B a s e d o n th e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s c o n s id e r a tio n o f th e s e f a c ts , w e f

in d th a t it6

d id n o t c o m m it p la in e rr o rin d e n y in g A r a n o - M e lc h i’s m o tio n to w ith d r a w h is gu i l ty pl ea . T he j ud gm entof the di stri ctcourti s there fore AF F I RME D.