Court Opinion

ID: 9381012
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-03-21 19:01:00.497248+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:17:29.010296
License: Public Domain

USCA11 Case: 22-11227    Document: 31-1     Date Filed: 03/21/2023   Page: 1 of 3

                                                  [DO NOT PUBLISH]
                                   In the
                United States Court of Appeals
                        For the Eleventh Circuit

                          ____________________

                                No. 22-11227
                          Non-Argument Calendar
                          ____________________

       UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
                                                      Plaintiff-Appellee,
       versus
       MICHAEL THERON BEAVER,

                                                  Defendant-Appellant.

                          ____________________

                 Appeal from the United States District Court
                      for the Middle District of Florida
                  D.C. Docket No. 6:21-cr-00104-RBD-EJK-1
                          ____________________
USCA11 Case: 22-11227    Document: 31-1     Date Filed: 03/21/2023   Page: 2 of 3

       2                     Opinion of the Court               22-11227

       Before LAGOA, BRASHER, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
       PER CURIAM:
              The Government’s motion to dismiss this appeal pursuant
       to the appeal waiver in Appellant’s plea agreement is GRANTED.
       See United States v. Bushert, 997 F.2d 1343, 1351 (11th Cir. 1993)
       (sentence appeal waiver will be enforced if it was made knowingly
       and voluntarily); United States v. Boyd, 975 F.3d 1185, 1192 (11th
       Cir. 2020) (sentence appeal waiver will be enforced where “it was
       clearly conveyed to the defendant that he was giving up his right
       to appeal under most circumstances” (quotation marks and brack-
       ets omitted)); United States v. Weaver, 275 F.3d 1320, 1333 (11th
       Cir. 2001) (sentence appeal waiver will be enforced where the
       waiver provision was referenced during the change of plea hearing
       and the defendant agreed that he understood and entered the pro-
       vision freely and voluntarily).
              Here, Beaver’s sentence appeal waiver was made knowingly
       and voluntarily. During the plea colloquy, the magistrate judge
       advised Beaver that he had waived the right to directly appeal his
       sentence unless one of the four exceptions in the plea agreement
       applied. The magistrate judge read each of the exceptions to Bea-
       ver, and he confirmed that he understood them. Further, the court
       received confirmation that Beaver was making his appeal waiver
       freely and voluntarily. By explaining the appeal waiver provision
       and its exceptions, the court effectively conveyed that Beaver was
       giving up his right to appeal his sentence under most
USCA11 Case: 22-11227     Document: 31-1     Date Filed: 03/21/2023    Page: 3 of 3

       22-11227               Opinion of the Court                       3

       circumstances. Boyd, 975 F.3d at 1192. Therefore, the appeal
       waiver was made knowingly and voluntarily and should be en-
       forced. See Bushert, 997 F.2d at 1351. Further, none of the excep-
       tions apply because Beaver ‘s sentence of 77 months’ imprisonment
       was not greater than the statutory maximum of 10 years’ imprison-
       ment, his sentence was not above the guidelines range as calculated
       by the district court of 77-96 months, the sentence does not violate
       the Eighth Amendment, and the government has not appealed.