Opinion ID: 4546333
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Plea Agreement and Hearing

Text: In a written plea agreement, Lipscomb pled guilty to one count, and the government agreed to dismiss the remaining count. In his plea agreement, Lipscomb agreed to waive the right to appeal his sentence on any ground, except the grounds that his sentence: (1) exceeded his applicable advisory guidelines range as determined by the district court; (2) exceeded the statutory maximum penalty; or (3) violated the Eighth Amendment. The sentence-appeal waiver also released Lipscomb from the waiver if the government appealed the sentence imposed. During Lipscomb’s plea hearing, a magistrate judge confirmed with Lipscomb that he had read and discussed the plea agreement with his attorney before he signed it. The magistrate judge also reviewed the plea agreement’s 3 Case: 19-14401 Date Filed: 07/06/2020 Page: 4 of 16 terms, including twice explaining the sentence-appeal waiver and its exceptions. Specifically, the magistrate judge explained to Lipscomb that he was giving up his right to appeal “on any ground except you may challenge an upward departure or challenge a sentence that’s in excess of the statutory maximum or a sentence that may be in violation of the law apart from the sentencing guidelines.” When the magistrate judge asked if Lipscomb made the waiver knowingly and voluntarily, Lipscomb paused and stated, “I don’t know if it was explained to me the way that you are explaining it now to me.” In response, the magistrate judge repeated his explanation of the waiver and its exceptions, and Lipscomb then stated that he understood the waiver.2 Lipscomb pled guilty, and the magistrate judge determined that the plea was knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily made.