Source: http://openjurist.org/148/f3d/864
Timestamp: 2015-09-04 12:47:43
Document Index: 81002202

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2113', '§ 4', '§ 2113', '§ 3', '§ 4', '§ 3']

148 F3d 864 United States v. A Standiford | OpenJurist
148 F. 3d 864 - United States v. A Standiford Home
148 F3d 864 United States v. A Standiford 148 F.3d 864
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Brian A. STANDIFORD, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 98-1195.
Argued June 3, 1998.Decided July 10, 1998.
Andrew B. Baker, Jr., Office of the United States Attorney, Dyer, IN, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Michael B. Cohen (argued), Maywood, IL, for Defendant-Appellant.
Pursuant to a plea agreement, Brian A. Standiford pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2113(a) and 2. In that agreement, Mr. Standiford agreed to waive his right to appeal his sentence on any ground. However, prior to his sentencing, Mr. Standiford asked to withdraw from the plea agreement and sought to plead guilty without a plea agreement. The district court denied his request and sentenced him as a "career offender" pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1. In this appeal, Mr. Standiford contends that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to allow him to withdraw from the plea agreement, that the court erred in sentencing him as a career offender, and that the court erred in refusing to depart downward for extraordinary rehabilitation. Because we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to allow Mr. Standiford to withdraw from the plea agreement, he remains bound by that agreement including the waiver of his right to appeal. Accordingly, his appeal from the imposition of sentence is dismissed. He also protests the district court's order to reimburse the United States for attorney's fees expended on his behalf. We affirm this order of the district court.
On May 27, 1997, Brian A. Standiford was arrested on the suspicion that he had committed three bank robberies in Northwest Indiana. Subsequent to his arrest, the district court appointed attorney William O'Toole to represent Mr. Standiford. On April 18, 1997, an information was filed charging Mr. Standiford with three counts of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2113(a) and 2. Count I charged Mr. Standiford with robbing $4,045 from the NBD Bank of Portage, Indiana on March 24, 1997. Count II charged him with robbing $2,240 from the Centier Bank of Chesterton, Indiana, also on March 24, 1997. Finally, Count III charged Mr. Standiford with robbing $9,563 from the First National Bank of Valparaiso, Indiana, on March 26, 1997.
On April 23, 1997, Mr. Standiford appeared before a magistrate judge and waived prosecution by indictment. On May 22, 1997, he appeared before the district court with counsel and pleaded guilty to the three robberies pursuant to a plea agreement with the government. In that agreement, the government agreed that Mr. Standiford had accepted responsibility for his offense under U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 and that he should receive the minimum term of imprisonment in the applicable guideline sentencing range. In exchange, Mr. Standiford agreed to waive his right to appeal his sentence on any ground, as well as his right to contest his sentence in a post-conviction proceeding. After an extensive colloquy with Mr. Standiford pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11, the district court accepted the defendant's guilty plea. The district court reserved acceptance of the plea agreement pending its review of the presentence report.
Mr. Standiford subsequently wrote two pro se letters to the district court seeking to enter his plea of guilty without a plea agreement. In both letters, Mr. Standiford claimed that no one, including his attorney, Mr. O'Toole, explained to him that the plea agreement included a provision whereby he waived his right to appeal his sentence. On November 20, 1997, the district court denied Mr. Standiford's request to withdraw from the plea agreement because, when questioned by the court during the Rule 11 colloquy, Mr. Standiford had assured the court that he understood that the agreement included a waiver of his right to appeal his sentence.
Next, on December 9, 1997, Mr. O'Toole filed a motion seeking to withdraw as Mr. Standiford's attorney. At a hearing several days later, the district court allowed Mr. O'Toole to withdraw after Mr. Standiford advised the court that he had retained new counsel. The court indicated that Mr. Standiford would be required to reimburse the court for the services of Mr. O'Toole. Subsequently, Mr. Standiford's new counsel, Michael B. Cohen, filed his initial appearance on behalf of Mr. Standiford. Prior to sentencing, Mr. Standiford filed a motion asking the district court to reconsider his earlier request to withdraw from the plea agreement. That motion was denied.
Mr. Standiford was sentenced on January 14, 1998. Because he had two prior state convictions for bank robbery, the court sentenced Mr. Standiford as a career offender, see U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1, resulting in an offense level of 32 and a criminal history category of VI. The court reduced the offense level to 29 pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 for acceptance of responsibility, resulting in a guideline range of 151 to 188 months. The court denied Mr. Standiford's motion to depart downward for extraordinary rehabilitation. Accordingly, pursuant to the plea agreement, the court sentenced Mr. Standiford to the minimum term of imprisonment in the applicable guideline sentencing range, 151 months. Mr. Standiford was also ordered to make restitution to the banks and to reimburse the court for the services of his court-appointed attorney, Mr. O'Toole. On appeal, Mr. Standiford asserts that the district court erred in sentencing him as a "career offender" and in denying his motion for a downward departure. In addition, he contends that the court abused its discretion by requiring him to pay for the services of Mr. O'Toole.