Opinion ID: 2975959
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Petitioner’s Communicated Intentions

Text: Under Flores-Ortega, Petitioner must first demonstrate that he actually requested that his attorney file an appeal, that he reasonably demonstrated his interest in appealing, or that a reasonable 5 No. 06-6130 defendant would want to appeal in his circumstances. Id. at 480. The district court, however, focused its analysis on the first of these tests. In an evidentiary hearing conducted by the district judge, Petitioner testified that immediately before his resentencing hearing, he asked his defense counsel what the likely result of the hearing would be. According to Petitioner, counsel told him that he was likely to receive a two-point sentencing enhancement, rather than the four-point enhancement received at trial. Petitioner further testified that he told counsel that he “wasn’t satisfied with the two points, that I felt that four should have came [sic] off,” adding that “I told him I want him to appeal it, and he said that he would take care of it.” (J.A. 191) Despite Petitioner’s testimony that he spoke to his attorney about appealing prior to the resentencing hearing, Petitioner also testified that he spoke with his attorney “[m]aybe five, six” times subsequent to this hearing, but that he was “not sure” whether they discussed appealing the district court’s decision at resentencing. (J.A. 193) At the same evidentiary hearing, Petitioner’s defense counsel testified unequivocally that he did not have any conversations with Petitioner regarding his right to appeal or his desire to appeal subsequent to resentencing. Indeed, counsel testified that he had no conversations whatsoever with Petitioner regarding his right to appeal or his desire to appeal, even during the several conversations they had subsequent to the hearing. Faced with conflicting testimony as to whether or not Petitioner instructed his attorney to appeal, the district court found the attorney’s testimony more credible. In so finding, the district court noted that Petitioner “conceded that he did not request an appeal [immediately] following imposition of sentence,” and that Petitioner was “not sure” whether he discussed the possibility of 6 No. 06-6130 appeal at any point whatsoever. (J.A. 116-17) According to the district court, “it is difficult to reconcile testimony of a firm desire and a clear request to appeal with later testimony that [Petitioner] contacted his lawyer on five or six occasions . . . but that he just can’t remember whether he inquired about why the lawyer had refused his clear request to appeal.” (J.A. 117) The district court also noted Petitioner’s testimony that his defense counsel had “done pretty good” prior to the alleged request for an appeal, and added that its impression of counsel “during the course of the trial confirms that he does not give the impression of a lawyer who would ignore his client’s wishes.” (Id.) Based on these findings, the court held that Petitioner “failed to show it more likely than not that he asked [counsel] to appeal from the resentencing.” (J.A. 118) These findings are not clearly erroneous. Petitioner’s sole evidence that he requested an appeal was his own testimony to that effect. This testimony, however, is inconsistent with Petitioner’s own actions subsequent to this alleged request, and it contradicts the trial judge’s own observations about counsel’s responsiveness to his client. Accordingly, we will not disturb the district court’s finding that Petitioner’s testimony was not credible, and instead will affirm the district court’s finding that Petitioner did not ask his attorney to appeal his case. Furthermore, the district court’s finding that Petitioner did not instruct his attorney to appeal is also dispositive of the question of whether Petitioner “reasonably demonstrated to counsel that he was interested in appealing.” Flores-Ortega, 528 U.S. at 480. Petitioner admitted that he was “not sure” whether the topic of an appeal even came up in post-resentencing discussions with his attorney. (J.A. 193.) Accordingly, the only indication that he demonstrated any interest in appeal were his alleged pre-resentencing statements to counsel—statements which the district court discounted. 7 No. 06-6130 Because we accept the district court’s credibility determinations on that point, we hold that Petitioner cannot claim ineffectiveness on the grounds that he reasonably demonstrated his interest in appealing his sentence. We now turn to whether Petitioner reasonably would have wanted to appeal his resentencing hearing.