Court Opinion

ID: 9905138
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-28 21:00:48.870464+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:52.603193
License: Public Domain

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                                             UNPUBLISHED

                               UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                   FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                               No. 22-4741

        UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                             Plaintiff - Appellee,

                      v.

        MIGUEL ANGEL LOPEZ-RESENDIZ,

                             Defendant - Appellant.

        Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, at
        Charlotte. Frank D. Whitney, District Judge. (3:21-cr-00254-FDW-DSC-1)

        Submitted: November 21, 2023                                Decided: November 27, 2023

        Before WILKINSON and NIEMEYER, Circuit Judges, and TRAXLER, Senior Circuit
        Judge.

        Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

        ON BRIEF: H. Justin Pace, H. JUSTIN PACE, PLLC, Asheville, North Carolina, for
        Appellant. Amy Elizabeth Ray, Assistant United States Attorney, OFFICE OF THE
        UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Asheville, North Carolina, for Appellee.

        Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
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        PER CURIAM:

               Miguel Lopez-Resendiz pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams

        or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A). On appeal,

        counsel has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), conceding

        that there are no meritorious issues for appeal, but questioning whether Lopez-Resendiz’s

        counsel in the district court provided ineffective assistance. Although notified of his right

        to file a pro se supplemental brief, Lopez-Resendiz has not done so. We affirm the district

        court’s judgment.

               We review de novo an ineffective assistance of counsel claim that is made on direct

        appeal but “will reverse only if it conclusively appears in the . . . record itself that the

        defendant was not provided effective representation.” United States v. Freeman, 24 F.4th

        320, 326 (4th Cir. 2022) (en banc) (cleaned up). Because such claims are generally not

        cognizable on direct appeal, they should normally be raised in a motion brought pursuant

        to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to permit sufficient development of the record. United States v.

        Jordan, 952 F.3d 160, 163 n.1 (4th Cir. 2020). Our review of the record does not

        conclusively show Lopez-Resendiz has received ineffective assistance; thus, he should

        raise this claim, if at all, in a § 2255 motion. See id.

               In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire record in this case and have

        found no meritorious issues for review. We therefore affirm the district court’s judgment.

        This court requires that counsel inform Lopez-Resendiz, in writing, of the right to petition

        the Supreme Court of the United States for further review. If Lopez-Resendiz requests that

        a petition be filed, but counsel believes that such a petition would be frivolous, then counsel

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        may move in this court for leave to withdraw from representation. Counsel’s motion must

        state that a copy thereof was served on Lopez-Resendiz.

              We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are

        adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the

        decisional process.

                                                                                   AFFIRMED

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