Green v. United States

378 F. Supp. 3d 780
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedMay 8, 2019
DocketCase No. 19-00221-CV-W-BP-P; Crim. No. 15-00244-02-CR-W-BP
StatusPublished

This text of 378 F. Supp. 3d 780 (Green v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Green v. United States, 378 F. Supp. 3d 780 (E.D. Mo. 2019).

Opinion

BETH PHILLIPS, CHIEF JUDGE

Movant is incarcerated in the Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Texas. She filed this case pro se pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, seeking to vacate, set aside, or correct the sentence entered against her in the above-cited criminal case. Although Movant has not timely responded to Respondent's motion to dismiss, the Court can resolve the matter without the necessity of further briefing. For the reasons explained below, Respondent's motion to dismiss (Doc. 5 )1 is GRANTED. The Court DENIES a certificate of appealability.

*782I. Background

On July 14, 2016, Movant pleaded guilty to her role in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Crim. Docs. 53, 54. On November 17, 2016, Movant was sentenced to two concurrent sentences of 61 months' imprisonment. Crim. Doc. 73. Judgment was entered on November 18, 2016. Crim. Doc. 73. Movant did not appeal.

On March 20, 2019, Movant filed this motion pursuant to § 2255, with a certificate of service dated February 27, 2019. Doc. 1.

II. Legal Standard

Title 28 U.S.C. § 2255 provides that an individual in federal custody may file a motion to vacate, set aside, or correct his or her sentence by alleging "that the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States, or that the court was without jurisdiction to impose such sentence, or that the sentence was in excess of the maximum authorized by law, or is otherwise subject to collateral attack[.]" A motion under this statute provides a statutory avenue through which to address constitutional or jurisdictional errors and errors of law that "constitute[ ] a fundamental defect which inherently results in a complete miscarriage of justice." Sun Bear v. United States , 644 F.3d 700, 704 (8th Cir. 2011) (citations omitted).

A § 2255 motion "can be dismissed without a hearing if (1) the petitioner's allegations, accepted as true, would not entitle the petitioner to relief, or (2) the allegations cannot be accepted as true because they are contradicted by the record, inherently incredible, or conclusions rather than statements of fact." Sanders v. United States , 341 F.3d 720, 722 (8th Cir. 2003) (citation omitted). Additionally, a petition that consists only of "conclusory allegations unsupported by specifics [or] contentions that, in the face of the record, are wholly incredible," is insufficient to overcome the barrier to an evidentiary hearing on a § 2255 motion. Blackledge v. Allison , 431 U.S. 63, 74, 97 S.Ct. 1621, 52 L.Ed.2d 136 (1977).

III. Discussion

In her sole ground, Movant asserts a violation of her Sixth Amendment rights in that she alleges her video and telephone conversations with her attorney were recorded when she was a pre-trial detainee at CoreCivic, formerly Corrections Corporation of America, in Leavenworth, Kansas (hereafter "CCA"). Doc. 1 at 4. Respondent argues in part that this case should be dismissed as having been untimely filed. Doc. 5 at 5.

A one-year period of limitation applies in § 2255 cases. The one-year limitation period runs from the latest of "(1) the date on which the judgment of conviction becomes final; ... [or] (4) the date on which the facts supporting the claim or claims presented could have been discovered through the exercise of due diligence." § 2255(f).

The judgment became final on November 18, 2016. Movant had until December 2, 2016, to file a notice of appeal. When Movant did not appeal, her conviction became final. Movant thus had until December 2, 2017, to timely file her § 2255 motion. Movant filed her motion on February 27, 2019; therefore, under § 2255(f)(1), she filed this case more than fourteen months late.

*783Liberally construing Movant's motion, she seeks to apply the exception in § 2255(f)(4), stating that "new evidence as of January 11, 2019 makes motion timely." Doc. 5 at 10. Under this provision, the limitation period runs from the latest of the date that "the facts supporting the claims could be discovered through the exercise of due diligence." 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(4) (emphasis added). Equitable tolling is established only upon a showing: (1) that the petitioner has pursued his or her habeas corpus rights diligently, and (2) that some extraordinary circumstance stood in the petitioner's way and prevented timely filing of a habeas corpus petition. Holland v. Florida , 560 U.S. 631, 645, 130 S.Ct. 2549, 177 L.Ed.2d 130 (2010). In other words, to be entitled to a finding of timeliness in § 2255(f)(4), "a petitioner 'must show the existence of a new fact, while also demonstrating [that she] acted with diligence to discover the new fact.' " Anjulo-Lopez v. United States , 541 F.3d 814, 820 (8th Cir.

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Related

Blackledge v. Allison
431 U.S. 63 (Supreme Court, 1977)
Pace v. DiGuglielmo
544 U.S. 408 (Supreme Court, 2005)
Sun Bear v. United States
644 F.3d 700 (Eighth Circuit, 2011)
John E. Kress v. United States
411 F.2d 16 (Eighth Circuit, 1969)
United States v. Michael Lloyd Craycraft
167 F.3d 451 (Eighth Circuit, 1999)
Shon Lamar Sanders v. United States
341 F.3d 720 (Eighth Circuit, 2003)
Anjulo-Lopez v. United States
541 F.3d 814 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
Holland v. Florida
177 L. Ed. 2d 130 (Supreme Court, 2010)

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Bluebook (online)
378 F. Supp. 3d 780, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-united-states-moed-2019.