Opinion ID: 185671
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Mr. Marquez's options

Text: 17 One final observation is in order. Contrary to the protestations of counsel, a strict application of Rule 33 will not fundamentally compromise Mr. Marquez's rights. While the rule is clear in foreclosing a late-filed motion for a new trial, two avenues remain whereby Mr. Marquez may present his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. First, he may pursue a direct appeal. In the appeal, he has the benefit of a strong opinion by the District Court explaining why it concluded that trial counsel's representation was ineffective. If Mr. Marquez succeeds in his appeal, he will gain a new trial. 18 Convicted defendants who appeal are generally afforded a full hearing on the issue of ineffective counsel even without the benefit of a full-blown District Court opinion on the subject. This is because this court frequently remands such claims to the District Court for an evidentiary hearing unless the merits of the claim are clear from the record. See United States v. Weaver, 281 F.3d 228, 233-34 (D.C.Cir. 2002). We recently had occasion to explain this practice: 19 The theory presumably is that trial counsel cannot be expected to argue his own ineffectiveness in a motion for a new trial, and so we ought to allow new counsel to argue it on appeal.... [Rule 33] requires new trial motions to be filed within 7 days of the verdict, yet our practice of remanding to the district court for an evidentiary hearing has the effect of greatly extending that time limit. 20 Id. at 234. This court has long recognized that defendants often will miss Rule 33's deadline for making a motion for a new trial where the claimed defect is ineffective assistance of counsel, and has sought to address the problem without violating the rule's strictures. See id.; United States v. Tindle, 522 F.2d 689, 692-93 (D.C.Cir.1975) ( per curiam ) (recognizing that, often, the ineffective assistance issue is not discerned until long after the time limit of Rule 33 ... has expired and consequently holding that where a defendant filed a motion for a new trial alleging ineffective assistance, the District Court could treat it as a motion under § 2255 and consider it even during the pendency of a direct appeal). Thus, in ineffective assistance cases (where it might seem unrealistic to expect counsel to meet the deadline), the strict time limits are effectively extended when the defendant pursues a direct appeal with new counsel. 21 Second, Mr. Marquez may make a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 raising the issue of ineffective assistance of counsel. Either way, his claim will be considered, either directly by this court or by the District Court. See United States v. Torres, 115 F.3d 1033, 1037 (D.C.Cir.1997) (holding that appellant's Rule 33 motion based on ineffective assistance was untimely and agreeing that appellant could raise the issue directly on appeal, but declining to remand for the customary evidentiary hearing because appellant had renewed the identical claim in a collateral attack pending before the district court). In short, our adherence to the letter of Rule 33 will not deprive Mr. Marquez of any fundamental legal rights.