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 1-20-2009 

# U SA v . P a di ll 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 . 07-4682

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and 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 ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . P a d i ll a" (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 2012. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/2012* H o n o rab le E u g en e E . S il er, Jr . , S en ior C ir cu itJu d g e f o r th e U n it ed S tat es C o u rt of A ppeal s fort he Si xt h C i r cui t , s i t t i ng bydes i gnat i on. NOT 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

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v. CH RI STOPHER PAD I LLA a l s o k n o wn a s TOB Y PA DI LLA a l s o k n o wn a s CH RI STOPHER G ON ZALES

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___________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

O ct ober30, 2008 B E F O R E : M cK E E , N Y G A A R D , and S ILE R , C i rcui tJudg es. * ( Fi l ed: J anuary20, 2009)2 ___________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

___________ N Y G A A R D , C i r cui tJ udge. A p p e l l a n t , C h r i s t o p h e rP a d i l l a , p l e a d e d g u i l t y t o p o s s e s s i o n o f a f i r e a r m b y a convi ct ed fe l on. H e w as s ent ence d t o 46 m ont hs of i m pr i s onm ent , t hr ee y ear s of s upervi s ed r el eas e, and $100 s peci al as s es s m ent . T r i al couns el fai l ed t o fi l e a not i ce of appea l . T he D i s t r i ctC our t , how ever , gr ant ed A ppel l ant ’ s m ot i on under28 U . S. C . § 2255, re in sta tin g P a d ill a ’s r ig h t to f ile a d ire c t ap p e a l nunc pr o t unc . T h is a p p e a l f o llo w e d . O n appea l Padi l l a ar gues t hatt he D i s t r i ctC our terr ed byi m pos i ng a four - l evel s ent enci ng enhanc ementupon hi m forpos s es s i ng a fi r earm and r eckl es s l yendange r i ng ot her s byfi r i ng i ti n t he ai r , i n vi ol at i on of Penns y l vani a l aw . H e ar gues t hatbeca us e tr i al couns el fai l ed t o obj ectt o t he enha ncement , couns el ’ s conductfal l s bel ow t he hor i zon of a c c e p t a b l e p r o f

e s s i o n a l e f

f e c t i v e n e s s . W e wi l l a f

f i r m. C ouns el w i l l notbe cons i der ed i neff ect i ve i f the obj ect i on t o t he enha ncement w o u ld h av e b ee n fu ti le. Itis th e A p p ell an t’ s b u rde n to es tablish tha t th e D istri ct C o u rt comm i t t ed the pl ai n err or . T o do s o, he musts how t hat( 1) t he D i s t r i ctC our terr ed; ( 2) t he err orw as obvi ous undert he l aw att he t i m e; and ( 3) t he err oraff ect ed s ubs t ant i al ri g h ts a n d a f

f e c te d th e o u tc o m e o f

th e p ro c e e d in g s . Johns on v. U ni t ed Stat es , 52 0 U. S. 4 6 1 , 4 6 7 (19 9 7 ).3

W e conc l ude thatPadi l l a i s notent i t l ed t o r el i ef. T he D i s t r i ctC our tw as perm i t t ed to re ly o n th e u n d is p u te d f a c ts s ta te d in th e p re s e n te n c e re p o rt , U ni t ed Stat es v. Si egel , 4 7 7 F .3 d 8 7 , 9 3 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 7 ). T h o se f a c ts, c o n tra ryto P a d ill a ’s a rg u m e n t o n a p p e a l, a d e q u a telyse t f

o rth th e e lem e n ts o f

a n o th e r f

e lo n yo f f e n se – re c k les s e n d a n g e rm e n t – in vi ol at i on of Penns y l vani a l aw . T hus t he r ecor d s uppor t s t he s ent enci ng enhanc ement i mp o s e d b yt h e Di s t r i c tCo u r t . F o rt h e f o r e g o i n g r e a s o n s , we wi l l a f f i r m.