FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T OCTOB ER 4, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO N OT PUBLISH]

IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 1- 10 65 0 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :0 9- cr-0 00 13 -WL S-TQL-1 UNITED STAT ES OF AMERIC A, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l l Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll ee, vers us JEROM E FLETCHER, a.k .a. Cit y , ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l l Defen da nt -Ap pe ll an t.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e Mi dd le Dis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Oct ob er 4 , 20 11 ) Befo re BARKETT, MARCUS an d F AY, Circ ui t J ud ge s. PER CURI AM: Je ro m e Fl et ch er ap pe al s h is co nv ic ti on aft er p le ad in g g ui lt y to po ss es si ngwith i nt en t t o d is tri bu te fiv e g ram s o r m or e o f co cai ne ba se , invi ol at io n o f 21

U.S.C. § 8 41 (a)( 1) . On ap pe al , Fle tc he r arg ue s t ha t the di st ric t co urt ab us edit s di sc ret io n i n d en y in g h is m ot io n t o wi th dr aw hi s g ui lt y pl ea. Fo r th e rea so ns st at edbe lo w, we affi rm . I. A fed eral grandjury in di ct edFle tc he r on two co un ts : p os se ss io n wi th in te nt to di st rib ut e co cai ne ba se (Co un t 1 ), an d p os se ss io n o f m etha m ph et am in e (Co un t 2) . The d ay

th atFle tc he r’s tri al was s etto be gi n, the pa rti es fil eda pl ea ag reem en t, i n wh ic h F le tc he r ag reedto pl eadgu il ty to Co un t 1 of t he in di ctm en t. The ag reem en t d idno t co nt ai n a ny sti pu la ti onreg ard in g the sen te nc e. Befo re acce pt in g F le tc he r’s gu il ty ple a, th e d is tri ctco urt co nduc te d ath or ou gh pl ea co ll oquy, info rm in g F le tc he r m ul ti pl e ti m es th athe face d am ax im um sen te nc e o f li fe i m pr is on m en t an d tha t the sen te nc in g d eci si on lay ent ire ly w it hi n t he co urt’s di sc ret io n, re ga rd le ss of wh athi s at to rn ey to ldhi m or wh atth e g ov ern m en t reco m m en de d. Th ro ug ho utth e co ll oquy, Flet ch er i nd ic at edth athe un de rs to od ev erythi ng th atth e co urt ex pl ai ne d t o h im . App ro xi m at el y

two week s af

te r pl ead in g g ui lt y , Fle tc he r fi le d a pr o s e m ot io n t o wi th dr aw hi s p le a, as se rti ng th atth e p le a ag reem en t d iff eredfro m what he ha d p rev io us ly dis cu ss edwith h is att orne y , andth athi s at to rn ey pre ss ur edhi m 2in to pl ead in g g ui lt y .

The di stric t co urt co nduc te d alen gthy hear in g o n F le tc he r’s m ot io n t o withd raw the pl ea. At t he he ari ng , Fle tc he r te st ifi edth athe ha d re cei ve d t he pl ea ag reem en t o nl y

two or t hr ee m in ut es be fo re the pl ea co ll oquy. Bas edon whathe an d h is att orne y

ha d d is cu ss ed , he t ho ug htth atth e p le a ag reem en t co nt ai ne d a st ip ul at io n t o a10 -y ear s en te nc e, an d h e si gn edth e ag reem en t wi th ou t p ers on al ly rev ie win g i t b ecau se he tru st edhi s l awy er’s ad vi ce. Fl et ch er re cal le d the pl ea co ll oquy, butex pl ai ne d t ha t h is m in d was “ so m ewh ere e ls e” atth e ti m e. Fl et ch er’s at to rn ey

als o t es ti fie d, s ta ti ng th athe ha d d is cu ss edwith F le tc he r th e in st an t p le a ag reem en t p rio r to th e p le a h eari ng an d h adne ve r to ldhi m th atth e ag reem en t co nt ai ne d ast ip ul at io n fo r a 1 0- y ear s en te nc e. The di stric t co urt d en ie d F le tc he r’s m ot io n t o wi th dr aw th e p le a, fi nd in g th athe ha d fa il edto pre se nta “ fai r an d ju st ” rea so n fo r do in g s o. Ul ti m at el y , th e co urt s en te nc edhi m

to 36 0 m on th s i n p ris on , fol lo wedby 6 y ears of s up erv is ed rel eas e. II. W e rev ie w forab us e o f di sc ret io n t he di st ric t co urt’s d en ia l o f a m ot io n t o withd raw a g ui lt y

pl ea. Uni te d Sta tes v. Br eh m , 44 2 F .3d12 91 , 12 98 (11 thCir . 20 06 ). A defe nd an t m ay

withd raw a g ui lt y

pl ea p rio r to sen te nc in g i f he “ can 3sh ow a f

ai r an d ju streas on forreque st in g t he withdrawal .” Fed .R.Cri m .P. 11 (d )(2 )(B) ; Breh m , 44 2 F .3dat 1 29 8. “ Thi s p orti on of t he Ru le , con cern in g pr e-s en te nc e m ot io ns to withd raw, is to be li be ral ly con st ru ed ,” bu t the de fen da nt ha s “ no ab so lu te rig htto withd raw a g ui lt y pl ea p rio r to th e im

po si ti on of a se nt en ce,” a ndwe wil l n otrev ers e a d en ia l o f a m ot io n t o wi th dr aw un le ss th e di st ric t co urt’s d eci si on was “ arb it rary or u nr eas on ab le .” Uni te d Sta tes v. Bu ckl es , 84 3 F .2d46 9, 4 71 (11 th Cir . 19 88 ). To d et erm in e whe th er a d efen da ntha s s ho wn a fai r an d ju streas on for

withd rawi ng th e p le a, a co urt “ m ay co ns id er the to ta li ty of th e ci rcu m st an ces surro un di ng th e p le a.” Id
. at 4 71 -7 2. Sp eci fic fact or s t o b e an al y zedin cl ud e “ (1 ) whe th er cl os e as si st an ce o f co un se l was av ai labl e; (2) whe th er the pl ea was kn owi ng an d v ol un ta ry ; (3 ) whe th er jud ic ia l re so ur ces wou ld be co ns erv ed ; an d (4 ) whe th er the go ve rn m en t wo ul d b e p reju di cedif t he de fen da ntwere al lo wedto withdraw h is pl ea.” Id
. at 4 72 (ci ta ti on om it te d) . Inhi s b rie f to th is Co urt, Fl et ch er es se nt ia ll y rel ie s o n t he fir sttwo fact or s enun ci at edin Buc kl es , arg ui ng th at(1) he di d n otrece iv e cl os e as si st an ce o f co un se l b ecau se hi s at to rn ey advi se d h im

to si gn a pl ea ag reem en t d iff eren t fr om th e o ne th ey

ha d p rev io us ly dis cu ss ed , andth at(2) hi s p le a was no t m ad e kn owi ng ly andvo lu nt ari ly becau se he ha d n o c hanc e to rev ie w th e p le a ag reem en t pr io r to th e p le a h eari ng . Flet ch er’s arg um en ts fai l. 4Reg ard in g c lo se ass is ta nc e o f co un se l, the is su e es se nt ia ll y bo il s d own to cred ib il it y . At th e h eari ng on th e m ot io n t o wi th dr aw, Fle tc he r as se rte d t ha t h e ch os e to pl eadgu il ty becau se hi s at to rn ey to ldhi m th atth e p le a ag reem en t st ip ul at edto a 10 -y ear p ris on term . Howev er, Fl et ch er’s atto rn ey tes ti fie d t ha t h e ne ve r co nv ey edsu ch in fo rm at io n t o F le tc he r, bu t i ns te addi sc us se d wi th hi m th e go ve rn m en t’s ac tu al pl ea o ffer . Giv enth e ab se nc e o f an y ot he r ev id en ce as to wha t Fl et ch er an d h is att orne y di sc us se d p rio r to th e p le a h eari ng , th e d is tri ctco urt was free to di sb el ie ve Fle tc he r’s te st im on y whi le cred it in g h is att orne y ’s ver si on of ev en ts . Se e Buc kl es , 84 3 F .2dat 4 72 (“ The go odfai th , cred ib il it y an d wei gh t o f a d efen da nt ’s ass ert io ns in supp ort o f a m ot io n u nd er [R ul e 1 1( d) ] are i ss ue s fo r th e tr ia l co urt t o d eci de .”); Uni te d Sta tes v. Fr ei xa s , 33 2 F .3d13 14 , 13 18 -1 9 (1 1t h Ci r. 20 03 ) (h ol di ng th atth e d is tri ctco urt’s d eci si on to di sc red itde fen da nt ’s al le ga ti on s i n c on ne ct io n wi th he r reque stto withd raw h er g ui lt y pl ea “ was well withi n t he am

bi t o f [the co urt’s] so un d d is cret io n” ). Acco rd in gl y , th e d is tri ctco urt di d n otab us e it s d is cret io n i n fi nd in g t ha t Fl et ch er’s co un se l p ro vi de d c lo se an d ad equa te rep res en ta ti on . As t o t he vo lu nt ari ne ss of F le tc he r’s pl ea, we as su m e, ar gu en do , th at Fl et ch er d idno t h av e anad equa te op po rtu ni ty to p ers on al ly revi ew th e p le a ag reem en t b efo re s ig ni ng it . Howev er, the on ly diff eren ce tha t h e id en ti fie s 5be twee n the actua l p le a ag reem en t an d t he ag reem en t tha t h e h addi sc us se d wi th

hi s at to rn ey

is th e fac t tha t the actua l p le a ag reem en t d idno t co nt ai n ast ip ul at io n to a 10 -y ear s en te nc e. Becaus e th e d is tri ctco urt was free to di sc red itFle tc he r’s te st im on y th athi s at to rn ey

m is in fo rm edhi m

reg ard in g the po te nt ia l l en gt h o f hi s se nt en ce, the co urt co ul d p ro pe rly con cl ud e th atth e actua l p le a ag reem en t d idno t m at eri al ly diff

er fro m whatFle tc he r ha d p rev io us ly dis cu ss edwith h is co un se l. Fl et ch er’s g ui lt y

pl ea wo ul d n otbe ren de redin vo lu nt ary si m pl y be cau se he di d n ot pe rs on al ly read t he ag reem en t, as lo ng as h e u nd ers to odall of i ts ess en ti al pr ov is io ns an d t he co ns eque nc es of h is pl ea. Se e Uni te d Sta tes v. Br ow n , 58 6 F .3d 13 42 , 13 46 (11 th Cir . 20 09 ) (“ A gu il ty ple a is kn owi ng ly andvo lu nt ari ly m ad e if th e d efen da nten te rs hi s p le a wit ho utco erci on an d u nd ers ta nd s t he na tu re o f th e ch arg es an d t he co ns eque nc es of h is pl ea.”) , cer t. d en ie d , 13 0 S .Ct. 2 40 3 (2 01 0) . Eve n i f Fl et ch er s om eh ow m is un de rs to odwhathi s at to rn ey ha d t ol d h im reg ard in g t he pl ea ag reem en t, Fl et ch er’s s ta te m en ts durin g t he pl ea co ll oquy in di cat e th athe co m

pr eh en de d a ll th e ram ifi cat io ns of p le ad in g g ui lt y , in cl ud in g th e p os si bi li ty of rece iv in g ali fe s en te nc e. Ther efo re, the di st ric t co urt co ul d reas on ab ly con cl ud e th atFle tc he r ch os e to pl eadgu il ty freely andvo lu nt ari ly. Se e Uni te d Sta tes v. Pea se , 24 0 F .3d93 8, 9 40 -4 1 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 1) (affi rm in g t he de ni al of t he de fen da nt ’s m ot io n t o wi th dr aw hi s g ui lt y pl ea, i n p artbe cau se , eve n 6th ou gh de fen se co un se l h adm is rep res en te d t he len gt h o f th e p ot en ti al sen te nc e,

th e d efen da ntwas i nf

orm edof t he po ss ib le sen te nc e dur in g t he pl ea co ll oquy); Uni te d Sta tes v. Medlo ck , 12 F.3d18 5, 1 87 (11 thCir . 19 94 ) (“ The re i s a s tro ng pr es um pt io n t ha t the st at em en ts m ad e dur in g t he [pl ea] col lo qu y are t ru e.”). Bec au se th e rec or d s up po rts th e d is tri ctco urt’s fi nd in g tha t Fl et ch er en joy ed cl os e as si st an ce o f co un se l an d p le ad edgu il ty kno win gl y an d v ol un ta ril y , th e co urt d idno t ab us e it s d is cret io n i n d et erm in in g t ha t Fl et ch er h adfai le d t o es tabl is h afai r an d ju streas on forwithd rawi ng hi s p le a. Se e Buc kl es , 84 3 F .2dat 47 1- 72 . Accor di ng ly, we affi rm . AFFIRMED.

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