Court Opinion

ID: 9390194
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-04-27 00:00:47.164843+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:32.518637
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-60290        Document: 00516727554             Page: 1      Date Filed: 04/26/2023

             United States Court of Appeals
                  for the Fifth Circuit                                United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                Fifth Circuit

                                     ____________                             FILED
                                                                          April 26, 2023
                                      No. 22-60290
                                                                          Lyle W. Cayce
                                    Summary Calendar                           Clerk
                                    ____________

   United States of America,

                                                                     Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                            versus

   Michael Maes,

                                              Defendant—Appellant.
                     ______________________________

                     Appeal from the United States District Court
                       for the Southern District of Mississippi
                               USDC No. 1:16-CR-67-5
                     ______________________________

   Before Barksdale, Higginson, and Ho, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam:*
         Michael Maes, federal prisoner # 24361-111 and proceeding pro se on
   appeal, was sentenced in December 2018 to life imprisonment after being
   convicted of methamphetamine trafficking, money laundering, and
   conspiracy offenses. See 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (a), (h); 21 U.S.C. § 846. Our

         _____________________
         *
             This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-60290      Document: 00516727554          Page: 2   Date Filed: 04/26/2023

                                    No. 22-60290

   court affirmed his convictions and sentence on direct appeal. See United
   States v. Maes, 961 F.3d 366 (5th Cir. 2020).
          In August 2021 and October 2021, respectively, he filed pro se motions
   for a new trial pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 33, and to
   vacate, set aside, or correct his sentence, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. The
   district court denied both motions and denied Maes a certificate of
   appealability (COA) regarding his § 2255 motion. (The denial of the § 2255
   motion is not at issue in this appeal; Maes’ separate appeal from the denial is
   no longer pending in this court.)
          The Government has waived any claims regarding the timeliness of
   Maes’ notice of appeal by failing to brief the issue. E.g., United States v.
   Martinez, 496 F.3d 387, 388 (5th Cir. 2007) (providing timeliness of notice of
   appeal in criminal cases is not jurisdictional and can be waived).
          As noted, Maes is proceeding pro se on appeal. He challenges the
   denial of his Rule 33 motion for a new trial based on newly discovered
   evidence. Review is for abuse of discretion. E.g., United States v. Pratt, 807
   F.3d 641, 645 (5th Cir. 2015).
          Maes first contends he has newly discovered evidence that his
   codefendant, who also served as a Government witness in Maes’ trial, falsely
   testified that he (the codefendant-witness) did not distribute marihuana.
   This impeachment evidence is insufficient to entitle Maes to a new trial
   because it “speaks only to the credibility of [the codefendant’s] testimony”
   and “contravenes no element of the Government’s case”. United States v.
   Dickerson, 909 F.3d 118, 125 (5th Cir. 2018).
          Maes also claims he has newly discovered evidence demonstrating
   that the codefendant and other cooperating witnesses admitted to falsely
   implicating Maes in offenses involving methamphetamine. Nonetheless,
   because Maes presented evidence at trial regarding the codefendant’s

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Case: 22-60290     Document: 00516727554          Page: 3    Date Filed: 04/26/2023

                                   No. 22-60290

   admitting to fabricating testimony, this evidence is cumulative and is not
   grounds for a new trial. See United States v. Piazza, 647 F.3d 559, 565 (5th
   Cir. 2011) (providing if defendant fails to show, inter alia, newly discovered
   evidence “is not merely cumulative or impeaching”, Rule 33 “motion must
   be denied”).
          AFFIRMED.

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