Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/18pdf/17-1026_2c83.pdf
Page Number: 24

Cite as:  586 U. S. ____ (2019) 

7 

THOMAS, J., dissenting 

ity  that,  but  for  counsel’s  deficient  failure  to  consult  with 
him  about  an  appeal,  he  would  have  timely  appealed.” 
Ibid.   After  the  defendant  makes  that  showing,  we  held
that he was entitled to a presumption of prejudice because 
he was denied counsel during the entire appellate proceed-
ing,  rendering  it  presumptively  unreliable.  Id.,  at  483– 
485. 

The  Court  purports  to  follow  Flores-Ortega,  but  glosses 
over  the  important  factual  and  legal  differences  between
that case and this one.  The most obvious difference is also 
the most crucial: There was no appellate waiver in Flores-
Ortega.  The proximate cause of the defendant’s failure to
appeal  in  that  case  was  his  counsel’s  failure  to  file  one.
Not  so  here.  Garza  knowingly  waived  his  appeal  rights
and never expressed a desire to withdraw his plea.  It was 
thus Garza’s agreement to waive his appeal rights, not his 
attorney’s actions, that caused the forfeiture of his appeal. 
Thus, Flores-Ortega is inapposite. 

B 
Because  Flores-Ortega  does  not  control  cases  involving
defendants who voluntarily waive their appeal rights, this
case should be resolved based on a straightforward appli-
cation  of  Strickland.  Under  that  framework,  Garza  has 
failed to demonstrate either (1) that his counsel was defi-
cient  or  (2)  that  he  was  prejudiced  in  any  way  by  that 
alleged deficiency. 

1 
As to deficiency, “[n]o particular set of detailed rules for 
counsel’s  conduct  can  satisfactorily  take  account  of  the
variety of circumstances faced by defense counsel.”  Strick-
land, 466 U. S., at 688–689.  Accordingly, “[ j]udicial scru-
tiny  of  counsel’s  performance  must  be  highly  deferential” 
and  focus  on  “the  reasonableness  of  counsel’s  challenged 
conduct  on  the  facts  of  the  particular  case.”    Id.,  at  689–