Opinion ID: 3046626
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 1997-1998 Direct Appeal

Text: Wert appealed his conviction to this Court. On July 22, 1998, we affirmed, rejecting Wert’s sole claim that the district court abused its discretion in admitting at trial evidence of Benevides’s murder. United States v. Ridgeway, 152 F.3d 934 (11th Cir. 1998) (table). 1 Wert did not seek a writ of certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court. 1 While his direct appeal was pending, Wert filed pro se a six-page letter to the district court requesting removal of attorney Handlin as counsel and appointment of new counsel, alleging various reasons that he was dissatisfied with Handlin’s representation. Notably, Wert 3 Case: 13-14133 Date Filed: 01/15/2015 Page: 4 of 10