D'Ottavio v. United States

847 F. Supp. 322, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3779, 1994 WL 109759
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 30, 1994
DocketNos. 93 Civ. 5808 (JES), S87 Cr. 205 (JES)
StatusPublished

This text of 847 F. Supp. 322 (D'Ottavio v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
D'Ottavio v. United States, 847 F. Supp. 322, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3779, 1994 WL 109759 (S.D.N.Y. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

SPRIZZO, District Judge.

Salvatore D’Ottavio, acting pro se, brings this third 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petition to vacate his conviction, which was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In this petition, D’Ottavio claims that his conviction on Count Ten of the Indictment (S87 Cr. 205 (JES)) is duplicitous, and that his attorney failed to advise him that he could testify as to hearsay statements before the grand jury. For the reasons that follow, the petition is dismissed.

BACKGROUND

After a five day jury trial, petitioner, Salvatore D’Ottavio, was convicted of six counts of making false declarations to a federal grand jury investigating the activities of the Bonanno organized crime family, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1623. On January 26, 1989, the Court sentenced D’Ottavio to a term of imprisonment of five years on each count to be served concurrently, and imposed fines totalling $30,000. On August 10, 1988, the Court denied D’Ottavio’s motion pursuant to Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, seeking to set aside the conviction and requesting a new trial. United States v. D’Ottavio, 87 Cr. 205, 1989 WL 6639 (S.D.N.Y. January 23, 1989). On September 20, 1989, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed D’Ottavio’s conviction in a summary order. United States v. D’Ottavio, 888 F.2d 126 (2d Cir.1989), cert. denied, 495 U.S. 958, 110 S.Ct. 2564, 109 L.Ed.2d 746 (1990).

On May 13, 1991, D’Ottavio filed a pro se petition to set aside his conviction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 and on September 10, 1991, the Court denied that petition in a memorandum opinion and order. D’Ottavio v. United States, 91 Civ. 7627, 1991 WL 183358 (S.D.N.Y. September 10, 1991). On November 12, 1991, D’Ottavio filed a second pro se petition to set aside his conviction and on July 27, 1992, the Court denied that petition as well. D’Ottavio v. United States, 794 F.Supp. 520 (S.D.N.Y.1992). On March 2, 1993, the Second Circuit affirmed that denial in a summary order. D’Ottavio v. United States, 992 F.2d 319 (2d Cir.1993).

On June 14, 1993, D’Ottavio deposited the instant petition with the United States Post Office, see Letter from Salvatore D’Ottavio dated November 11, 1993 (“D’Ottavio Letter”) Exh. A., and on June 17, 1993, it was received by the Clerk’s Office. Id. Exh. B. Then, on July 15, 1993, D’Ottavio was released from the Federal Correctional Institute at Allenwood, Pennsylvania, after completing his five-year term of imprisonment, and began serving a term of mandatory release. Government Response (“Gov’t Resp.”) Exh. B. On August 19, 1993, the Clerk’s Office filed the instant petition.

DISCUSSION

In order to collaterally attack a sentence under section 2255, a petitioner [324]*324must establish that he or she is “in custody-in violation of the Constitution or laws ... of the United States.” 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (1988). In its response, the Government argues that the Court lacks jurisdiction because D’Ottavio’s petition was filed approximately one month after his release from prison. In pro se cases, however, the Court has jurisdiction with respect to a section 2255 petition so long as the petition was received by the Clerk’s Office while the petitioner remained in custody. See Toliver v. County of Sullivan, 841 F.2d 41, 42 (2d Cir.1988). In this case, D’Ottavio’s petition was received by the Clerk’s Office on June 17, 1993, approximately one month prior to his release from prison. Therefore, since D’Ottavio satisfied the “in custody” requirement at that time, jurisdiction was not defeated by his subsequent release from physical custody. See Carafas v. LaVallee, 391 U.S. 234, 238, 88 S.Ct. 1556, 1559-60, 20 L.Ed.2d 554 (1968).

In any event, actual physical imprisonment is not required, so long as a petitioner suffers from substantial restraints not shared by the public generally. See, e.g., Hensley v. Municipal Court, 411 U.S. 345, 351, 93 S.Ct. 1571, 1575, 36 L.Ed.2d 294 (1973); Crescenzi v. Supreme Court of New York, 749 F.Supp. 552, 554 (S.D.N.Y.1990); c.f. Maleng v. Cook, 490 U.S. 488, 109 S.Ct. 1923, 104 L.Ed.2d 540 (1989). In this case, upon his release, D’Ottavio was subject to a term of mandatory release that does not conclude until October 29, 1994. Thus, even at the time his petition was filed by the Clerk’s Office, he was still “in custody” within the meaning of the statute. See United States v. Essig, 10 F.3d 968, 970 n. 3 (3d Cir.1993) (supervised release meets “in custody” requirement); see also Jones v. Cunningham, 371 U.S. 236, 243, 83 S.Ct. 373, 377, 9 L.Ed.2d 285 (1963) (parole meets “in custody” requirement).

However, even viewing D’Ottavio’s pro se petition in a liberal manner, as the Court must, see Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21, 92 S.Ct. 594, 595-96, 30 L.Ed.2d 652 (1972) (per curiam); Onwubiko v. United States, 969 F.2d 1392, 1397 (2d Cir.1992), it must be dismissed on the merits. It is well-settled that “section 2255 may not be employed to relitigate questions which were raised and considered on direct appeal,” Barton v. United States, 791 F.2d 265, 267 (2d Cir.1986) (per curiam), or claims considered in a previous § 2255 petition. See Cabrera v. United States, 972 F.2d 23, 25 (2d Cir.1992). In this petition, D’Ottavio claims that trial counsel failed to advise him that he could testify as to hearsay statements before the grand jury. While D’Ottavio did not specifically rely on this precise aspect of his counsel’s alleged defective performance in his pri- or petitions, he previously raised claims of ineffective assistance three times: on direct appeal, see United States v. D’Ottavio, 888 F.2d 126 (2d Cir.1989), in his first § 2255 petition, see D’Ottavio, 91 Civ. 7627, 1991 WL 183358 (S.D.N.Y. September 10, 1991), and in his second § 2255 petition.

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Related

Jones v. Cunningham
371 U.S. 236 (Supreme Court, 1963)
Carafas v. LaVallee
391 U.S. 234 (Supreme Court, 1968)
Haines v. Kerner
404 U.S. 519 (Supreme Court, 1972)
United States v. Frady
456 U.S. 152 (Supreme Court, 1982)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Maleng v. Cook
490 U.S. 488 (Supreme Court, 1989)
William Barton v. United States
791 F.2d 265 (Second Circuit, 1986)
United States v. D'OttaviO
888 F.2d 126 (Second Circuit, 1989)
Jose Pagan Campino v. United States
968 F.2d 187 (Second Circuit, 1992)
Martin Onwubiko v. United States
969 F.2d 1392 (Second Circuit, 1992)
Carlos Cabrera v. United States
972 F.2d 23 (Second Circuit, 1992)
D'OttaviO v. United States
992 F.2d 319 (Second Circuit, 1993)
United States v. James A. Essig
10 F.3d 968 (Third Circuit, 1994)
D'OTTAVIO v. United States
794 F. Supp. 520 (S.D. New York, 1992)
Crescenzi v. Supreme Court of State of NY
749 F. Supp. 552 (S.D. New York, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
847 F. Supp. 322, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3779, 1994 WL 109759, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dottavio-v-united-states-nysd-1994.