2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 7-6-2009 

# U SA v . Ja c int o B arr az a P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-3277

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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w . vi l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . J a c int o B arr aza" (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1070. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1070NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

_____________ N o. 08- 3277

_____________ UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA

v. J AC I NT O B AR RA Z A, A ppel l ant

_______________ O n A p p e a l F ro m th e U n ited S tate s D istric t C o u rt f o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( C r i m i nal N o. 07- 00085- 02) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e Petr es e B . T ucker Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

M ay28, 2009 B efore: F ISH E R , C H A G A R E S , and C O W E N , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed: J ul y6, 2009)

__________________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

__________________ C H A G A R E S, C i r cui tJ udge. Couns e l fo rJ a c i nt o Barr a z a ha s move d, pu r s ua ntt o Ande r s v. Cal i fo r ni a , 38 6 U. S. 738 ( 1967) , forperm i s s i on t o w i t hdr aw as couns el i n t hi s cas e. Fort he r eas ons t hatT he D i s t r i ctC our thad j ur i s di ct i on pur s uantt o 18 U . S. C . § 3231. T hi s C our thas 1 j ur i s di ct i on under28 U . S. C . § 1291. Pr i ort o t r i al , B arr aza fi l ed a mot i on t o s uppr es s phy s i cal evi dence , as s er t i ng a 2 l ack of val i d cons entt o s ear ch hi s vehi cl e ordi s m ant l e i ti n t he cour s e of c onduct i ng t he s ear ch. T he D i s t r i ctC our tdeni ed the mot i on. 2 fol l ow , w e w i l l gr antt he mot i on and af fi r m B arr aza ’ s s ent ence . 1 I . B e c a u se w e w rite s o lelyf o r th e b e n e f

it o f th e p a rties , w e w ill o n lyb rie f ly sum m ari ze t he essenti al fact s. O n M ar ch 11, 2008, B arr aza pl eade d gui l t y , pur s uantt o a pl ea a gr eement , t o one c o u n t ea c h o f

c o n sp ira c yto d istrib u te 5 0 0 g ra m s o r m o re o f m e th a m p h e tam in e , in vi ol at i on of 21 U . S. C . § 846; di s t r i but i on of, and ai di ng and abe t t i ng the di s t r i but i on of, 5 0 0 g ram s o r m o re o f m etha m p h etam ine, i n v iolati o n o f 2 1 U . S . C . § 8 4 1 (a)(1), ( b )(1)(A ); and unl aw ful us e of a comm uni cat i on fac i l i t y , i n vi ol at i on of 21 U . S. C . § 843( b) . I n t he 2 pl ea a gr eement , t he G overnm entagr eed thatB arr aza w as el i gi bl e fora tw o- poi nt r educt i on i n hi s offe ns e l evel undert he advi s or ySent enci ng G ui del i ne foracc ept ance of r es pons i bi l i t y , as w el l as a thr ee- poi ntr educt i on forhi s r ol e as a mi norand mi ni m al par t i ci panti n t he off

ens e. T he part i es al s o agr eed thatB arr aza ’ s s ent enci ng gui del i nes r ange s houl d be ca l cul at ed on the bas i s of 8. 5 pounds of m ethamphet ami ne. U ndert he t erm s of the pl ea a gr eement , B arr aza m ai nt ai ned the r i ghtt o appea l or col l at er al l yat t ack hi s s ent ence i n onl yt hr ee l i m i t ed ci r cumst ance s : ( 1) t he s ent ence on a n yc o u n t ex c e e d e d th e sta tu to rym a x im u m ; (2 ) th e se n ten c in g ju d g e e rro n e o u sly3

depart ed upw ar d pur s uantt o t he Sent enci ng G ui del i nes ; and ( 3) t he s ent enci ng j udge i m pos ed an unr eas onabl e s ent ence above the Sent enci ng G ui del i ne r ange. A pr es ent ence i nves t i gat i on r epor tw as pr epar ed. A cce pt i ng al l of the s t i pul at i ons betw een the G overnm entand B arr aza , t he r epor tcal cul at ed B arr aza ’ s t ot al offe ns e l evel at70- 87 m ont hs . I tw enton t o s ay , how ever , t hat“bec aus e of the mandat or ym i ni m um , t he e f f e c tiv e g u id e lin e s ra n g e is 1 2 0 m o n th s .” O n J ul y22, 2008, aft era s ent enci ng hear i ng, B arr aza w as s ent ence d t o 120 m ont hs of i m pr i s onm ent . T he D i s t r i ctC our ts t at ed that“C ongr es s has det erm i ned w hats ent ence one i n y ourpos i t i on s houl d r ece i ve. T her e ar e no exc ept i ons , and j us tas y ou ar e bound, t he C our ti s bound orm andat ed t o s ent ence y ou t o t hi s m andat or ys ent ence . ” B arr aza t i m el yappea l ed. II. B arr aza ’ s couns el pet i t i ons t hi s C our tt o w i t hdr aw as at t or neyof r ecor d, ar gui ng t hat there are no no n-fr i vo l ou s i ssues that can be ad van ced o n ap peal. A cop yof d efen se c o u n se l’s b rie f

w a s f u rn ish e d to B a rra z a , an d h e w a s g iv e n u n til F e b ru a ry1 7 , 2 0 0 9 to f ile a b rie f o n h is o w n b e h a lf

, an d B a rra z a f

a iled to d o so b yth e g iv e n d a te. B a rra z a f iled h is pr o s e i nfor m al br i ef w i t h t hi s C our ton M ar ch 6, 2009. E val uat i on of an A nder s br i ef r equi r es a tw ofol d i nqui r y : ( 1) w hethercouns el has t hor oughl yexami ned the r ecor d forappea l abl e i s s ues and has expl ai ned w hyanys uch i s s ues ar e fr i vol ous , and ( 2) w hetheran i ndepende ntr evi ew of the r ecor d pr es ent s any4

n o n -frivo lou s issue s. U n it ed S tat es v . Y o u la, 2 4 1 F . 3 d 2 9 6 , 3 0 0 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ). W h ere t he A nder s br i ef a ppear s adequa t e on i t s fac e, and the appe l l anthas nots ubm i t t ed a pro se b ri e f , o u r r e v ie w is lim ite d to th e p o rt io n s o f th e re c o rd id e n tif

ie d in th e A n d e rs b ri e f. See i d. at301. W e conc l ude thatt he br i ef i n t hi s cas e i s adequa t e, and thus , i tw i l l gui de ouri ndepende ntr evi ew of the r ecor d. B a rra z a ’s c o u n se l ex a m in e d th e re c o rd a n d c o n c lu d e d th a t an yc laim th a t h e c o u ld r ai s e on B arr aza ’ s behal f w oul d be fr i vol ous , gi ven the thr ee c at egor i es of i s s ues a v a ila b le f

o r B a rr a z a to ra is e o n a p p e a l u n d e r t h e p ro v is io n s o f h is a p p e lla te w a iv e r. L i kew i s e, ouri ndepende ntr evi ew of “thos e port i ons of the r ecor d i dent i fi ed by[the] A nd ers bri ef, ” as w el l as tho se i ssues i den t i fi ed b yB arr aza i n h i s pro se br i ef, r evea l s no n o n - f r i v o l o u s i s s u e s Ba r r a z a mi g h tp r o f i t a b l yr a i s e o n d i r e c ta p p e a l . S e e i d . As B arr aza ’ s couns el poi nt s out , none of the i s s ues carved outas par tof the appe l l at e w ai ver a g re e m e n t o c c u rre d a t se n ten c in g , an d th u s th e re is n o b a sis f o r a p p e a l. A ccor di ngl y , w e w i l l gr antcouns el ’ s m ot i on and w i l l aff i r m B arr aza ’ s s ent ence .