Opinion ID: 2973889
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jesus Lugo

Text: Lugo’s sole argument on appeal is that the district court erred by denying his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. After a full hearing on the issue, the district court stated that it was denying the motion because it did not “meet any of the criteria” for withdrawal and was “without merit, and, frankly, [just] frivolous.” Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(d)(2) provides: “A defendant may withdraw a plea of guilty . . . after the court accepts the plea, but before it imposes sentence if . .. the defendant can show a fair and just reason for requesting the withdrawal.” “This Court reviews a district court’s denial of a motion to withdraw a guilty plea for abuse of discretion.” United States v. Durham, 178 F.3d 796, 798 (6th Cir. 1999) (citation omitted). -4- Nos. 05-5297, 05-5342 United States v. Bustos & Lugo In deciding whether the defendant has proffered “a fair and just reason” for withdrawal, the district court may consider the following factors, among others: (1) whether the movant asserted a defense or whether he has consistently maintained his innocence; (2) the length of time between the entry of the plea and the motion to withdraw; (3) why the grounds for withdrawal were not presented to the court at an earlier time; (4) the circumstances underlying the entry of the plea of guilty, the nature and the background of a defendant and whether he has admitted his guilt; and (5) potential prejudice to the government if the motion to withdraw is granted. United States v. Valdez, 362 F.3d 903, 912 (6th Cir. 2004) (citations omitted). In denying the motion to withdraw, the district court reasoned that: (1) Lugo had repeatedly admitted his guilt; (2) 137 days passed between entry of the guilty plea and the first motion to withdraw, “a lengthy period of time”; (3) Lugo presented no persuasive reason to grant withdrawal; (4) Lugo had been repeatedly informed at the plea hearing of the 20-year mandatory minimum for his crime, given adequate time to consider the consequences of a guilty plea, and knowingly and voluntarily pled guilty; and (5) there may be some prejudice to the government (although the district court noted that this factor “was not outcome determinative on its own”). In his brief to this court, Lugo argues that: (1) the time span between the plea and the motion to withdraw was not all that long given that, during the interim, Lugo had moved for and was granted substitute appointed counsel; (2) although he is not asserting innocence, his sentence should be in line with the sentences of his co-defendants given the fundamental fairness and due process guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment; (3) “he did not fully understand the terms of his plea agreement, thinking the plea was to 17 years, not 20; (4) the United States will not be prejudiced -5- Nos. 05-5297, 05-5342 United States v. Bustos & Lugo in this case; and (5) due to his low education level and lack of contact with the federal criminal justice system, he had little “insight” into this case. The record belies many of Lugo’s claims, however. First, even considering the substitution in appointed counsel, 54 days passed between substituted counsel’s appointment to the case and the filing of the motion of withdrawal. Lugo fails to provide any explanation at all for this 54-day delay. See United States v. Goldberg, 862 F.2d 101, 104 (6th Cir. 1988) (describing a 55-day delay as “lengthy”). Second, Lugo has made absolutely no claim of innocence and in fact repeatedly asserted his guilt. Third, Lugo’s claims that he did not fully understand the terms of his plea agreement are contradicted by the record. A translator was present at the plea hearing, the plea agreement was provided in Spanish and English, and Lugo affirmed that he understood the agreement, understood the nature of the proceedings, and knew what he was doing. These facts alone counter his contention that, due to his lack of education and exposure to the federal system, he failed to understand what was happening. Lastly, the issue of prejudice appears not to have been an issue in this case. There is little evidence presented about any prejudice the government may have encountered and the district court appeared to put little weight on this fact. In the end, Lugo has put forward no “fair and just reason” for the withdrawal of his guilty plea. He appears only to claim that, by the terms of his plea agreement, he received a harsher sentence than he should have. Because of this, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Lugo’s motion for withdrawal of his plea. AFFIRMED. -6-