Carlin v. United States

30 F. Supp. 2d 814, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20675, 1998 WL 919637
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMay 21, 1998
DocketCIV.A. 3:CV-97-656, CRIM.A. 3:CR-88-12
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 30 F. Supp. 2d 814 (Carlin v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carlin v. United States, 30 F. Supp. 2d 814, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20675, 1998 WL 919637 (M.D. Pa. 1998).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CONABOY, District Judge.

Michael Carlin, Defendant, by his attorneys, LAW OFFICES OF ALAN ELLIS, P.C. submitted the pending motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (Doe. 76), on April 23, 1997. In the motion, it is alleged that this Court has violated two (2) separate Rules of Criminal Procedure: 32(e)(3)(D) and 11(c)(1). As a remedy for the 32(c)(3)(D) violation, the Defendant has requested that his current sentence be vacated and that the Court grant him re-sentencing. On the alleged 11(c)(1) violation the Defendant has requested that his guilty plea as to count 2 (carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence) be vacated and that he be allowed to replead.

For the sake of clarity, the Court shall discuss the Defendant’s factual background and then address the two (2) alleged violations starting with Rule 32(e)(3)(D).

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The facts as set forth by the parties are as follows: On February 2,1988, the Defendant, Michael Carlin, was indicted for armed bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d), and the use of a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). Initially, on February 18, 1988, Carlin and his appointed counsel, attorney James Walker, entered a plea of not guilty before this Court. However, on May 23, 1988, the day set for trial, Carlin decided to change his original plea of not guilty, and pled guilty to both counts in the indictment. Although there was no plea agreement or written plea colloquy, the Court did conduct an oral colloquy on the record. The Court then accepted the plea, ordered a pre-sen-tence report (PSR), and set the sentencing for June 17,1988.

The PSR was reviewed and read by attorney Walker on June 13th, and 16th, as well as by Carlin himself on June 17th. (Doc. 80, Exhibit 5, p. 1). The PSR stated specifically, that the § 924(c) conviction carried a mandatory five (5) year term of imprisonment to run consecutively to any additional sentence the Court imposed. The PSR also contained the government’s version of the facts in addition to the Probation Officer’s findings. On June 17, 1988, attorney Walker filed a sentencing memorandum on behalf of Carlin in which the consecutive nature of § 924(c) was acknowledged, and various objections were made to sections of the PSR. Specifically, the alleged agreement that the Defendant may have had with inmate Robert Wallace, the relevance of the Robert Miller Memorial Fund, the characterization of the Defendant as an aggressive, anti-social or predatory offender, and whether the Defendant caused injury to the bank customers or tellers, played a leadership role in the robbery, or *816 planned to escape with the assistance of another prisoner.

At the sentencing, attorney Walker again noted the above objections to the PSR, as well as acknowledged in the presence of Carlin, that there was a five (5) year mandatory minimum that could not run concurrent with any other offense. This Court then sentenced Carlin to five (5) years on the bank robbery charge and five (5) years on the § 924(e) charge, the sentences to run consecutive to each other and consecutive to his pending state sentence.

No direct appeal was filed. However, nearly nine years after Carlin’s sentence, he filed this 28 § U.S.C. 2255 motion.

Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(c)(3)(D)

The Rule provides:

If the comments of the defendant and the defendant’s counsel or testimony or other information introduced by them allege any factual inaccuracy in the presentence investigation report or the summary of the report or part thereof, the Court shall, as to each matter controverted, make (i) a finding as to the allegation, or (ii) a determination that no such finding is necessary because the matter controverted will not be taken into account at sentencing. A written record of such findings and determinations shall be appended to and accompany any copy of the presentence investigation report thereafter made available to the Bureau of Prisons or the Parole Commission.

Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(c)(3)(D) 1 . The Defendant alleges that the Court violated Rule 32(c)(3)(D) when it failed to make a finding with respect to each controverted matter raised by attorney Walker at the sentencing, or to make a determination that no such finding was necessary because the matter controverted would not be taken into account at sentencing. As a result, it is also alleged that the Court failed to append its findings or determination to a copy of the pre-sentence report which was to be made available to the Bureau of Prisons or the Parole Commission. The government does not dispute the fact that the necessary findings or determination were not made.

Pursuant to our review of the sentencing transcript, we find merit in the Defendant’s claim. At the sentencing, the government responded to attorney Walker’s points of contention, however, the Court failed to resolve the issues in contention or determine that the controverted matter would not be considered in Carlin’s sentencing. Although the government agrees that the proper findings were not made by the Court, it argues that a violation of Rule 32(c)(3)(D) is not cognizable under § 2255. The Government relies on Johnson v. United States, 805 F.2d 1284 (7th Cir.1986), for the proposition that § 2255 provides jurisdiction for a Rule 32 violation only if there has been a due process violation. The government also cites a Supreme Court case, Hill v. United States, 368 U.S. 424, 428, 82 S.Ct. 468, 7 L.Ed.2d 417 (1962), in support of its argument that aggravating circumstances must be present to show that the error is a “fundamental defect which inherently results in the complete miscarriage of justice.” It is the government’s contention that Carlin’s argument, that the controverted matter in the PSR will effect his parole, does not demonstrate aggravating circumstances which would raise the violation to the level of a fundamental defect. Therefore, the government recommends the motion be denied because at most the Defendant has shown technical non-compliance to the rules which is not enough to sustain a § 2255 motion.

The Defendant, on the other hand, cites Poor Thunder v. United States, 810 F.2d 817 (8th Cir.1987) for the proposition that a Rule 32(c)(3)(D) violation is cognizable on collateral attack under § 2255. In Poor Thunder, the court addressed the Hill decision, as well as the Johnson decision in its opinion. With respect to Hill, the Court distinguished the Rule 32(a) violation which the Hill

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Wenzel
359 F. Supp. 2d 403 (W.D. Pennsylvania, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 F. Supp. 2d 814, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20675, 1998 WL 919637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carlin-v-united-states-pamd-1998.