Opinion ID: 216541
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sixth Amendment Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims

Text: Next, both Trestyn and Herren argue that their right to effective assistance of counsel was violated because of their attorneys' failure to challenge the initial traffic stop in the suppression motions and failure to call an expert to challenge the reliability of the narcotics-detection dog during the suppression hearing. But it is well established that ineffective assistance of counsel claims should generally be brought in collateral proceedings, not on direct criminal appeal. E.g., Massaro v. United States, 538 U.S. 500, 504-05, 123 S.Ct. 1690, 155 L.Ed.2d 714 (2003); United States v. Calderon, 428 F.3d 928, 931 (10th Cir.2005). The Supreme Court explained the rationale for this rule as follows: In light of the way our system has developed, in most cases a motion brought under § 2255 is preferable to direct appeal for deciding claims of ineffective assistance. When an ineffective-assistance claim is brought on direct appeal, appellate counsel and the court must proceed on a trial record not developed precisely for the object of litigating or preserving the claim and thus often incomplete or inadequate for this purpose. Massaro, 538 U.S. at 504-05, 123 S.Ct. 1690. Therefore, when brought on direct appeal, ineffective assistance of counsel claims are `presumptively dismissible, and virtually all will be dismissed.' Calderon, 428 F.3d at 931 (quoting United States v. Galloway, 56 F.3d 1239, 1240 (10th Cir.1995) (en banc)). We recognize a narrow exception for the rare claims which are fully developed in the record [and allow such claims to] be brought either on direct appeal or in collateral proceedings. Galloway, 56 F.3d at 1242. Both Trestyn and Herren argue that the factual record has been fully developed and, therefore, this Court should reach the merits of the ineffective assistance of counsel claims on direct appeal. But this case does not resemble the few cases in which we have applied this narrow exception. Cf. United States v. Hamilton, 510 F.3d 1209, 1212-13 (10th Cir.2007) (hearing an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on direct appeal because the district court held a hearing to determine whether to withdraw a defendant's guilty plea based on ineffective assistance of counsel); United States v. Carr, 80 F.3d 413, 416 n. 3 (10th Cir.1996) (hearing an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on direct appeal because the defendant moved below to withdraw his guilty plea based on an allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel and the district court held a lengthy hearing on the ineffective assistance issue). Neither Trestyn nor Herren asserted ineffective assistance of counsel claims in the district court. Therefore, the district court did not hold a hearing, hear testimony, or weigh the ineffective assistance question before the case arrived to us on direct criminal appeal. The district court never had an opportunity to consider those claims, much less develop a record on the issue. The record before us is insufficient to enable meaningful appellate review of these claims, and, therefore, we dismiss these claims without prejudice.