Opinion ID: 797256
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Collins's counsel's motion to withdraw

Text: 28 The last matter to be settled is the motion to withdraw filed by Collins's counsel under Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967). Counsel contends that any appeal would be frivolous. Because his brief is facially adequate, we confine our review to the potential issues that he raises, along with those that Collins himself identifies in a response under Circuit Rule 51(b). United States v. Schuh, 289 F.3d 968, 973-74 (7th Cir.2002). 29 Collins cooperated with the government and was rewarded with a sentence of half the bottom end of his Guidelines range. He received 180 months' imprisonment, compared to his co-defendants' sentences ranging from 240 months to life. Collins's plea agreement, like Cohn's, contains a waiver of the right to appeal. But as we noted above, a plea agreement that is entered into involuntarily or as a result of ineffective assistance from counsel cannot stand, and the waiver of appeal would fall with the plea agreement. Collins contends in his Rule 51(b) submission that he could raise both of these points in an appeal. Either argument, however, would be frivolous. Collins stated in open court that he understood his rights under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11, and that his guilty plea was knowing and voluntary. He would therefore face an uphill struggle in convincing an appellate court otherwise. United States v. Cieslowski, 410 F.3d 353, 358 (7th Cir.2005). Collins does not say in what way the district court's colloquy under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11 was insufficient, and we see none. Nor does he give any specifics as to how counsel rendered ineffective assistance in advising him to accept the plea agreement. Indeed, there is no evidence in the record of counsel's advice, which is why an ineffective assistance claim is more appropriately raised in a collateral proceeding than on direct review. See, e.g., United States v. Harris, 394 F.3d 543, 557 (7th Cir.2005).