Court Opinion

ID: 2963812
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:15:29.92665+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:42:46.687367
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

        January 2, 1996         [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

                           

                                 ____________________

        No. 95-1459 

                               FRANCISCO GARCIA AROMI,

                                Petitioner, Appellant,

                                          v.

                              UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                                Respondent, Appellee.

                                 ____________________

                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                           FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

                    [Hon. Hector M. Laffitte, U.S. District Judge]
                                              ___________________

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                                Cyr, Boudin and Lynch,
                                   Circuit Judges.
                                   ______________

                                 ____________________

            Francisco Garcia Aromi on brief pro se.
            ______________________
            Guillermo  Gil,   United  States  Attorney,   Miguel  A.  Pereira,
            ______________                                ___________________
        Assistant United States Attorney, and  Jose A. Quiles Espinosa, Senior
                                               _______________________
        Litigation Counsel, on brief for appellee.

                                 ____________________

                                 ____________________

                 Per Curiam.   Pro  se petitioner Francisco  Garcia Aromi
                 __________    ___  __

            (Garcia) was convicted  after pleading guilty to a  two count

            indictment that  charged him  with robbing the  San Sebastian

            branch  of the  Banco Popular  de Puerto  Rico and  using and

            carrying  firearms in  connection with  said robbery,  all in

            violation  of  18  U.S.C.      2,  2113(a),  (d),   (e),  and

            924(c)(1).  He now appeals a district court order that denied

            his motion to vacate his sentence under 28 U.S.C.   2255. 

            Garcia's motion and supplemental filings alleged four claims:

            (1)  that  he  is  entitled  to  a  downward  adjustment  for

            acceptance  of  responsibility  under  a  1992  amendment  to

            U.S.S.G.  3E1.1(a),  (2) that  he is  entitled to  a downward

            adjustment  for  being  a minor  participant  under  U.S.S.G.

             3B1.2(b),  (3)   that  his   sentence  violates   the  Fifth

            Amendment's  Equal  Protection Clause,  and (4)  that defense

            counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing  to appeal

            Garcia's  sentence, failing  to  seek the  minor  participant

            adjustment,   and  failing  to  explain  various  matters  to

            Garcia.1

                 We have thoroughly reviewed  the record and the parties'

            briefs  on  appeal.   We  conclude  that the  district  court

            properly  denied  Garcia's   3E1.1(a)  and  Equal  Protection

                                
            ____________________

            1.  Garcia alleged that defense counsel failed to explain the
            nature of the  offense, the  fact that Garcia  could be  held
            responsible for  his codefendants'  conduct, the uses  of the
            presentence report, and the consequences of his guilty plea.

                                         -2-

            claims  for  the  reasons  stated  in  the  district  court's

            opinion.   And while  we agree that  Garcia's  3B1.2(b) claim

            was meritless, we  note that  it also was  not cognizable  in

            this    2255 proceeding. See  Knight v. Miller,  37 F.3d 769,
                                     ___  ______    ______

            771-74 (1st Cir. 1994).   We also agree that  Garcia's claims

            that  defense  counsel  rendered  ineffective  assistance  by

            failing  to seek  a  3B1.2(b)  adjustment and  by  failing to

            explain  the  matters  noted  in  note  1, supra,  also  were
                                                       _____

            properly  denied  for  the  reasons stated  in  the  district

            court's opinion.2  Finally, Garcia has  waived his claim that

            counsel rendered ineffective assistance  by failing to file a

            notice  of  appeal because  he has  not  addressed it  in his

            opening brief.  Cf.  Barrett v. United States 965  F.2d 1184,
                            ___  _______    _____________

            1187 n. 3 (1st Cir. 1992).   Accordingly, the judgment of the

            district court is affirmed.
                              ________

                                
            ____________________

            2.  Moreover, as Garcia's claim that defense counsel rendered
            ineffective  assistance by  failing  to explain  the  various
            matters  identified  above  was  based only  on  his  unsworn
            allegations, the claim was inadequate on its face.  "A habeas
            application must rest on  a foundation of factual allegations
            presented  under  oath,  either  in a  verified  petition  or
            supporting  affidavits.....Facts alluded  to  in  an  unsworn
            memorandum will not suffice."  United States v.  Labonte, No.
                                           _____________     _______
            95-1226,  slip op.  at 36  (1st  Cir. Dec.  6, 1995)(citation
            omitted).

                                         -3-