Source: http://openjurist.org/282/f3d/1241/united-states-v-torres
Timestamp: 2013-12-05 11:49:51
Document Index: 144614509

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2255', '§ 1691', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2255']

282 F3d 1241 United States v. Torres | OpenJurist
282 F. 3d 1241 - United States v. Torres	Home282 f3d 1241 united states v. torres
282 F3d 1241 United States v. Torres 282 F.3d 1241
UNITED STATES of America, Respondent-Appellee,v.Raymond TORRES, Petitioner-Appellant.
No. 01-6327.
In the petition, which he filed on January 16, 2001, Torres alleged that his sentence and conviction were unconstitutional in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000). On January 22, 2001, the district court entered an order explaining that because Torres was currently in federal custody for his methamphetamine convictions, he could not challenge those convictions and their corresponding sentences through a writ of coram nobis.1 (Jan. 22 Order at 1-2.) The proper method for raising such a challenge, the court pointed out, would be to file a petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. (Id. at 2.) The district court observed, however, that recharacterizations of pro se petitions brought under the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1691, as § 2255 petitions are often disfavored. (Id. at 2.) Moreover, the district court noted that if it were to restyle Torres's petition as one seeking relief under § 2255, then it would lose subject matter jurisdiction over the petition because Torres had previously filed a § 2255 petition and had not sought permission from this court to file a successive § 2255 petition. See 28 U.S.C. § § 2255, 2244(b)(1).
On July 30, 2001, Torres filed a motion pursuant to Rule 4(a)(6) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure requesting that the district court "reopen the time to appeal" the January 22 and April 12 orders. In the documents accompanying his motion, Torres alleged that he did not receive the court's January 22 order until July 24, 2001, and that he received it then only because his sister had contacted the clerk of the court and inquired about the status of the "coram nobis and/or audita querela" petition. On August 17, 2001, the district court rejected Torres's request to reopen the time to appeal, holding that Torres had failed to file his motion to reopen within the 180 day period required under Rule 4(a)(6). (Aug. 17 Order at 2.) Torres then appealed to this court.
In his appeal, Torres raises three issues. First, he contends that the district court abused its discretion under Rule 4(a)(6) by denying his motion to reopen the time for appeal. (Aplt. Br. at 7-8.) Second, and closely related to his first argument, Torres alleges that his appeal should be considered timely because the district court violated Rule 58 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure by not entering a separate judgment denying his "coram nobis and/or audita querela" petition. Third, he argues that the district court erred in reclassifying the "coram nobis and/or audita querela" petition as a § 2255 petition.
We need not reach Torres's Rule 4(a)(6) argument because we agree that the district court never entered a prope