Opinion ID: 741989
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The same grounds

Text: 19 [A] ground is successive if the basic thrust or 'gravamen' of the legal claim is the same, regardless of whether the basic claim is supported by new and different legal arguments. Molina, 886 F.2d at 1129. A ground means a sufficient legal basis for granting the relief sought by the applicant. Blodgett, 997 F.2d at 516; Molina, 886 F.2d at 1129. [I]dentical grounds may often be proved by different factual allegations .... supported by different legal arguments, or ... couched in different language. Molina, 886 F.2d at 1128. 20 The district court held that Gutierrez's present motion raised the same ground as his first § 2255 motion, which the court previously denied. Gutierrez's first § 2255 motion sought to correct his sentence by applying the Sentencing Reform Act, U.S.S.G. § 2D1.5, to his sentence under the plea agreement. 6 Gutierrez's present motion seeks an evidentiary hearing to determine the understanding of the parties as to the terms of the plea agreement at the time they entered into the contract. Gutierrez presumably seeks this evidentiary hearing to show that he intended the term early release law to apply to any law which would affect his early release, including the Sentencing Reform Act. Hence the gravamen of Gutierrez's legal claim in his first § 2255 motion and the present motion are identical, though formed by different legal arguments and couched in different language. Id. Thus, the district court properly held that Gutierrez's present motion raised the same ground as his prior § 2255 motion.