Opinion ID: 28
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Other Issues Outside the Certificate of Appealability

Text: This appeal has been unnecessarily complicated by counsel's failure to adhere to the issues set forth in the Certificate of Appealability (COA) issued by the District Court. By statute, a COA is required for an appeal from a final disposition of a § 2255 petition. See 18 U.S.C. § 2253(c); Fed. R.App. P. 22(b); United States v. Barrett, 178 F.3d 34, 41 (1st Cir.1999). Peralta moved below for a COA as to two issues, identifying them on page 5 of his motion as follows: 1. Did the Report and Recommendation Decision of the Magistrate Judge, as adopted by the District Court, holding that the conduct of trial counsel (in failing to prosecute a viable Motion to Dismiss the Indictment on Speedy Trial grounds (eight year delay) and to investigate Petitioner-Appellant's criminal history before having him enter into a binding plea agreement with the government) did not fall measurably below that which might be expected from an ordinary fallible attorney, constitute an unreasonable application of clearly-established Federal law?; and 2. Was the Report and Recommendation Decision of the Magistrate Judge, as adopted by the District Court, based upon an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented at the evidentiary hearing? The District Court granted the motion by electronic order as to the two issues set forth in the motion, page 5. Peralta has raised a variety of issues outside the scope of the COA. Specifically, he contends (1) that he was denied effective assistance of counsel because Ortiz failed to properly advise him concerning the Criminal History calculus (Appt. Br. at 9); (2) that he was denied effective assistance of counsel because Ortiz allegedly informed him that the prosecutor's office had promised a sentence of five years (Appt. Br. at 12); (3) that his sentence of 135 months' incarceration was unreasonable (Appt. Br. at 16); and (4) that his counsel for his direct appeal provided ineffective assistance (Appt. Br. at 22). Although the issues in the COA are framed somewhat awkwardly and inaccurately, the Court has read it broadly to permit an appeal as to (1) the claim of ineffective assistance of counsel concerning (a) counsel's alleged failure to prosecute the motion to dismiss and (b) counsel's alleged failure to investigate his criminal history (including the question of his age at the time of his 1988 conviction) and (2) the related findings of fact made by the Magistrate Judge. To the extent his brief raises other issues, they are outside the scope of the COA. The general rule is that a court of appeals should not consider the merits of an issue advanced by a habeas petitioner unless a COA first has been obtained with respect to that issue.  Bui v. DiPaolo, 170 F.3d 232, 237 (1st Cir.1999) (emphasis in original). Where the district court denies a request for a COA as to a particular issue, the proper procedure is to seek a complementary COA with the court of appeals. Id. This is not, however, a case where the district court granted a request for a COA as to some issues but not as to others. Cf. id. Instead, Peralta has simply raised new issues in his appellate brief that he never addressed in his request for a COA. Having failed to request a COA as to those issues in either the district court or the court of appeals, Peralta has waived his right to appellate review of those issues. [12]