Court Opinion

ID: 9838658
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-07 15:01:16.701205+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:45:33.025660
License: Public Domain

United States Court of Appeals
                            For the Eighth Circuit
                        ___________________________

                                No. 23-2145
                        ___________________________

                            United States of America

                                      Plaintiff - Appellee

                                        v.

                             James Ferman Chatman

                                    Defendant - Appellant
                                  ____________

                     Appeal from United States District Court
                      for the District of Nebraska - Omaha
                                 ____________

                          Submitted: September 1, 2023
                            Filed: September 7, 2023
                                 [Unpublished]
                                 ____________

Before GRUENDER, BENTON, and STRAS, Circuit Judges.
                          ____________

PER CURIAM.

      James Chatman received a 324-month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty
to sex trafficking of a child. See 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a)(1), (b). As part of the plea
agreement, he waived his right to appeal. An Anders brief suggests that the waiver
is invalid and the district court 1 imposed a substantively unreasonable sentence. See
Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967).

       Upon careful review, we conclude that the appeal waiver is enforceable. See
United States v. Scott, 627 F.3d 702, 704 (8th Cir. 2010) (reviewing the validity of
an appeal waiver de novo); United States v. Andis, 333 F.3d 886, 889–92 (8th Cir.
2003) (en banc) (explaining that an appeal waiver will be enforced if the appeal falls
within its scope, the defendant knowingly and voluntarily entered into the plea
agreement and the waiver, and enforcing the waiver would not result in a miscarriage
of justice). We have also independently reviewed the record and conclude that no
other non-frivolous issues exist. See Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 82–83 (1988).
We accordingly dismiss the appeal and grant counsel permission to withdraw.
                        ______________________________

      1
       The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., Chief Judge, United States District
Court for the District of Nebraska.
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