FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTH CI RCUI T May 20, 2009
THOMAS K. KAH

N CL ERK [ D O N O T P U B L I S H ]

I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A L S

F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C I R C U I T

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

N o

. 0 8

- 1 4 5 2 7 N o n

- A r g u m e n t C a l e n d a r

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

D

. C

. D o c k e t N o

. 8 7

- 0 0 5 1 6

- C R

- W P D

U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
,

P l a i n t i f f

- A p p e l l e e ,

v e r s u s

J O S E A N T O N I O D O Y H A R Z A B A L
,

D e f e n d a n t

- A p p e l l a n t

.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A p p e a l f r o m t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s D i s t r i c t C o u r t f o r t h e S o u t h e r n D i s t r i c t o f F l o r i d a

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ( M a y 2 0
, 2 0 0 9 )

B e f o r e B I R C H
, C A R N E S a n d P R Y O R
, C i r c u i t J u d g e s

.

P E R C U R I A M :

J o s e A n t o n i o D o y h a r z a b a l a p p e a l s p r o s e t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ’ s d e n i a l o f h i sm o t i o n f

o r r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f i t s o r d e r d e n y i n g h i s p e t i t i o n f o r a w r i t o f a u d i t a

q u e r e l a

. H e c o n t e n d s t h a t a w r i t o f a u d i t a q u e r e l a i s t h e o n l y r e m a i n i n g a v e n u e b y

1

w h i c h h e c a n c h a l l e n g e t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y o f h i s s e n t e n c e a n d s e e k r e t r o a c t i v e

a p p l i c a t i o n o f U n i t e d S t a t e s v

. B o o k e r , 5 4 3 U

. S

. 2 2 0
, 1 2 5 S

. C t

. 7 3 8 ( 2 0 0 5 )

.

W e “ r e v i e w d e n o v o t h e q u e s t i o n o f w h e t h e r a p r i s o n e r m a y c h a l l e n g e h i s

s e n t e n c e b y f

i l i n g a m o t i o n f

o r a w r i t o f a u d i t a q u e r e l a

. ” U n i t e d S t a t e s v

. H o l t , 4 1 7

F

. 3 d 1 1 7 2
, 1 1 7 4 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 5 ) ( p e r c u r i a m )

.

A u d i t a q u e r e l a i s “ a n a n c i e n t w r i t u s e d t o a t t a c k t h e e n f o r c e m e n t o f a

j u d g m e n t a f

t e r i t w a s r e n d e r e d

. ” I d

. A l t h o u g h w e h a v e n o t e d t h a t “ f e d e r a l c o u r t s

m a y p r o p e r l y f

i l l t h e i n t e r s t i c e s o f t h e f e d e r a l p o s t c o n v i c t i o n r e m e d i a l f r a m e w o r k

t h r o u g h r e m e d i e s a v a i l a b l e a t c o m m o n l a w , ” i d

. a t 1 1 7 5 ( q u o t a t i o n o m i t t e d )
, a w r i t

o f a u d i t a q u e r e l a m a y n o t b e g r a n t e d w h e r e t h e “ r e l i e f [ s o u g h t ] i s c o g n i z a b l e u n d e r

[ 2 8 U

. S

. C

. ] § 2 2 5 5

. ” I d

. H e r e t h e r e l i e f t h a t D o y h a r z a b a l s e e k s

— v a c a t i n g h i s

s e n t e n c e a s u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l

— f a l l s w i t h i n t h e s c o p e o f § 2 2 5 5

. T h e r e f o r e , h e 2

Doy harzaba l had pre viously

filed an unsuc cessf

ul 28 U.S.C. § 2255 m otion to vacate 1 his conviction, which the district cour t denied.

Section 2255 provides, in re levant par t: 2

A prisoner

in custody

under se ntence of a c ourt established by Act of Cong ress c laiming the rig ht to be rele ased upon the g round that the sente nce w as imposed in violation of the Constit ution . . . or that the sentenc e wa s in ex cess of the maxim um authorized by law . . . may

move the cour

t which imposed the sentenc e to vac ate, se t aside or c orre ct the sentenc e.

2c a n n o t s e e k r e l i e f f r o m h i s s e n t e n c e u n d e r a w r i t o f a u d i t a q u e r e l a

. T h e d i s t r i c t

c o u r t p r o p e r l y d e n i e d h i s m o t i o n

.

A F F I R M E D

.

28 U.S.C. § 2255(a).

3