A n unr edact ed M emor andum w as f i l ed unders eal on A pr i l 13, 2010. * Thi s di s po s i t i on i s no tap pr op r i at e f orpubl i ca t i on an d i s no tpr ec ed en tex ce ptas pr ovi ded by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. N OT F OR P U B L I C A T I ON UN I TE D S TA TE S CO UR T O F AP P EA LS F ORTH E N I NT H C I RC UI T UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AMER I CA , Pl ai nt i f

f - Appe l l ee , v. E S P IR ID IO N A R A N D A , a k a ; S e a l D ; P e te J os ui ; A nt oni o M armol ej o and Peety, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 07- 50397 D . C . N o. C R - 05- 00578- J FW

UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AMER I CA , Pl ai nt i f

f - Appe l l ee , v. J A V I E R M A R T I N E Z C O V A R R U B I A S, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 07- 50500 D . C . N o. C R - 05- 00578- J FW - 10 RE DA CT ED MEMORA ND UM *

A pp ea ls f

rom the U nited S tates D is tr ict C ou rt f o r th e C e n tra l D istric t o f C a lif o rn ia J ohn F. W al t er , D i s tr i ctJudge, Pr es i di ng 

# FI LED APR21 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSThe Hon or ab l e F r ed er i ckJ . Sc ul l i n Jr . , Se ni orUni t edSt at es Di s tr i ct ** Judge f orthe N orthern D i s tr i ctof N ew Y ork, s i t t i ng by des i gnat i on. 2 A r gued and Submi t t ed A pr i l 8, 2010 P a sa d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia Be f o r e : S I LV ER MAN a n dGR AB ER , Ci r c u i tJu d g e s , a n dS CU LL I N, Di s tr i ct ** Jud ge . J avi erC ovarrubi as and E s per i di on A r anda appeal thei rconvi ct i ons bas ed on e rro rs a t th e ir F e d e ra l R u le o f C rim in a l P ro c e du re 1 1 p le a c o llo q u ie s. T h e y a lso a p p e a l th e d istric t c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f th e ir re sp e c tiv e m o tio n s to w ith d ra w th e ir g u ilty p l e a s . [ RE DA CT ED ] We h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n p u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U. S . C. § 1 2 9 1 , a n dwe a f f irm . W e re v ie w th e a d e q u a c y o f a R u le 1 1 p le a c o llo q u y d e n o v o . Uni t ed States v. R o ss , 511 F. 3d 1233, 1235 ( 9th C i r . 2008) . A R ul e 11 mi s t ake notpr es erved by tim e ly o b je c tio n b e lo w is su b

je c t to p la in e rro r re v ie w . Id. B utw hen a R ul e 11 mi s t ake i s r ai s ed bel ow as a bas i s f orw i thdr aw al of

a gui l ty pl ea, w e r evi ew f or h a rm le ss e rro r. U

ni t ed Stat es v. V

i l lal obos , 3 3 3 F .3 d1 0 7 0 , 1 0 7 4 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 3 ). A d istric t c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f a m o tio n to w ith d ra w ag u ilty p le a is re v ie w e df o r a n a b u se o f d isc re tio n . Uni t ed

States v. Ens mi ng er , 5 6 7 F .3 d5 8 7 , 5 9 0 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 9 ). Both Cov arrub i as an d Ar an dawer e m i s i nf orme d a tthe i rpl ea co l l oqui es tha t the i rs en t en ce s un de r18 U. S. C. § 9 24 ( c) woul d run co nc urr en t l y wi th the i rothe r3

s ent ences . T he s t atut e r equi r es thatany s ent ence i mpos ed ther eunderrun cons ecut i vel y t o any others ent ence. 18 U . S. C . § 924( c) ( 1) ( D ) ( i i ) . T he m issta te m e n ts c o n stitu te de rro r, b u t n e ith e r a p p e lla n t is e n title dto re lie f . B e c a u se C o v a rru b ia s d idn o t ra ise th e e rro r b e lo w , h is c la im is su b je c t to p la in err orr ev i ew. I ti s un di s pu t edtha ti n e xc ha ng e f orCova rrub i as ’ s gu i l ty p l ea , en t er ed a f te r h is c a p ita l tria l h a da lre a d y b e g u n , th e g o v e rn m e n t a g re e dn o t to se e kth e d e a th penal ty. C ovarrubi as has nots how n thatthe concurr entver s us cons ecut i ve natur e of hi s s en t en ce s was a m ot i va t i ng f ac t orf orhi s pl ea ; athi s pl ea co l l oquy Cova rrub i as w a s r e p e a te d ly a d v is e d , a n dst a te dth a t h e u n d e rs to o d , t h a t h e w o u ld re c e iv e a li fe se n te n c e n o m a tte r w h a t. H is su b sta n tia l rig h ts w e re n o t a f f e c te d . Uni t ed

States v. M orales - Robl es , 309 F.3d 60 9, 61 0 (9th C ir . 200 2) (per cu ri am ). C ov arrubias’s a d d itio n a l c la im s re g a rd in g o th e r su p p o se dR u le 1 1 d e f ic ie n c ie s a re u n p e rsu a siv e . F in a lly , C o v a rru b ia s a rg u e s th a t th e d istric t c o u rt a b u se dits d isc re tio n in de ny i ng hi s mo t i on t o wi thd r aw hi s pl ea . W e d i s ag r ee . The d i s tr i ctco urtwas e n title dto re ly o n C o v a rru b ia s’s sta te m e n ts a t h is p le a c o llo q u y th a t h e w a s g u ilty a n dth a t th e re w e re n o u n d o c u m e n te dp ro m ise s o r th re a ts in du c in g h is p le a . R o ss , 511 F. 3d at1236. T he di s tr i ctcourtdi d notabus e i t s di s cr et i on i n di s cr edi t i ng C o v a rru b ia s’s la te r c la im s th a t h e w a s in n o c e n t a n dth a t h e w a s p re ssu re din to p le a d in g g u ilty .4

A r anda al s o ar gues thatthe err orr egar di ng the mi s advi s ementof the cons ecut i ve natur e of

the f i r earm s ent ence ent i t l es hi m t o r el i ef . H e r ai s ed the err or b e lo w in h is m o tio n to w ith d ra w h is g u ilty p le a ; w e th e re f o re re v ie w f

o r h a rm le ss err or . The r ec or d r ef

l ec t s tha tthe pr os ec ut orac cu r at el y i nf orme d Ar an da , i n o pe n court , thathe f

aced a t ot al thi rty- year , mandat ory- mi ni mum s ent ence. A r anda af f i rmed thathe under s t ood. T he pl ea agreemental s o expl i ci t l y s t at es thatA r anda w a s su b je c t to a m in im u m se n te n c e o f th irty y e a rs. T h e e rro r w a s c le a rly h a rm le ss. Se e M orales - Robl es , 3 0 9 F .3 da t 6 1 0 . A ra n d a a lso a rg u e s th a t th e d istric t c o u rt a b u se dits d isc re tio n in d e n y in g h is mot i on t o w i thdr aw hi s pl ea. W e di s agr ee. A s w e have expl ai ned al r eady, the mi s advi s ementof

the cons ecut i ve natur e of the f i r earm s ent ence could nothave p o ssib ly a f

f e c te dA ra n d a ’s d e c isio n to p le a dg u ilty . T h is is b e c a u se h e w a s c o rre c tly t ol d thathe f

aced a mi ni mum of

thi rty year s i n pr i s on. D ef ens e couns el ’ s advi ce on how the s ent ence pos s i bl y coul d be r educed w as nothi ng mor e than that— i tw as not a p romise or ev en an inco rr ec t s tateme nt of w ha t w as po ss ible. [ R E D A C T E D ] A F F IR M E D .