Opinion ID: 1457324
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: The petitioners argue that because the informations failed to charge an offense, the district court was without subject matter jurisdiction to sentence them, and that challenges to jurisdiction are not subject to § 2255's one-year limitations period. The petitioners rely heavily upon Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 12(b)(3)(B) to support their argument. The government argues that the petitioners disguise a statutory interpretation argument as a jurisdictional challenge in order to avoid § 2255's filing deadline. Section 2255 states that claims which allege the court was without jurisdiction to impose such sentence may be raised in a § 2255 motion seeking to vacate the sentence and that [a] 1-year period of limitation shall apply to a motion under this section. 28 U.S.C. § 2255(a), (f). Nothing in the language of § 2255 suggests that jurisdictional challenges are exempt from the one-year limitations period. To the contrary, § 2255(f) explicitly states that the limitations period shall apply to all motions made under § 2255. The petitioners fail to cite a single case which supports their argument. Although they point to Rule 12(b)(3)(B) and cases applying that rule as support for their argument, their reliance is misplaced. Rule 12(b)(3)(B) provides that at any time while the case is pending, the court may hear a claim that the indictment or information fails to invoke the court's jurisdiction or state an offense. Fed.R.Crim.P. 12(b)(3)(B) (emphasis added). After a final judgment has been entered, and no direct appeal has been filed, a case is no longer pending and Rule 12(b)(3)(B) cannot be invoked to challenge jurisdiction. See United States v. Wolff, 241 F.3d 1055, 1057 (8th Cir.2001) (per curiam) (holding, under prior version of Rule 12(b)(3)(B), that [a]fter final judgment was entered and [the defendant] did not file a direct appeal, the proceedings were no longer pending[]). We hold that the petitions are not exempt from § 2255's filing deadline.