Hernandez-Albino v. United States

16 F. Supp. 3d 10, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33918, 2014 WL 1017890
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedMarch 14, 2014
DocketCivil No. 11-1040 (DRD); Criminal No. 07-126 (DRD)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 16 F. Supp. 3d 10 (Hernandez-Albino v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hernandez-Albino v. United States, 16 F. Supp. 3d 10, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33918, 2014 WL 1017890 (prd 2014).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER ADOPTING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

DANIEL R. DOMINGUEZ, District Judge.

Pending before the Court is petitioner Xavier Hernández-Albino (“Hernández-Albino”) Motion To Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence By A Person In Federal Custody pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. See Docket No. 1. For the reasons set forth below, the petition is denied as untimely.

This matter was referred to United States Magistrate Judge Justo Arenas (“Magistrate Judge Arenas” or “Magistrate Judge”), who recommended, through a Report and Recommendation entered on February 22, 2012, that the petitioner’s motion for post-conviction relief be denied. See Docket No. 6. As of this date, the Report and Recommendation issued by Magistrate Judge Arenas stands unopposed. For the reasons set forth below, the petitioner’s motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 is denied without evidentiary hearing, as the written record of the case pellu-cidly demonstrates that he was duly forewarned as to the waiver of appeal. See Minutes of March 20, 2008, Criminal No. 07 — 126[5], Docket No. 355, and Plea Agreement, Docket No. 350, ¶ 17, page 6. The Report and Recommendation is, hence, deemed un unopposed to be reviewed only under the “plain error” standard.

Standard of Review

The District Court may refer dispositive motions to a United States Magistrate Judge for a Report and Recommendation. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) (1993); Rule 72(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure [12]*12(“Fed. R. Civ.P.”); Rule 72 of the Local Rules for the District of Puerto Rico (“Local Rules”). See Mathews v. Weber, 423 U.S. 261, 96 S.Ct. 549, 46 L.Ed.2d 483 (1976). As a general rule, an adversely affected party may contest the Magistrate Judge’s report and recommendation by filing its objections within fourteen (14) days after being served a copy thereof. See Local Rule 72; Fed.R.Civ.P. 72(b). Moreover, 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), in its pertinent part, provides that:

Within fourteen days of being served with a copy, any party may serve and file written objections to such proposed findings and recommendations as provided by rules of court. A judge of the court shall make a de novo determination of those portions of the report or specified proposed findings or recommendations to which objection is made. A judge of the court may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate.

However, “[ajbsent objection by the plaintiffs, [a] district court ha[s] a right to assume that [a party] agree[s] to the magistrate’s recommendation.” Templeman v. Chris Craft Corp., 770 F.2d 245, 247 (1st Cir.1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 1021, 106 S.Ct. 571, 88 L.Ed.2d 556 (1985). Moreover, “[fjailure to raise objections to the Report and Recommendation waives that party’s right to review in the district court and those claims not preserved by such objection are precluded on appeal.” Davet v. Maccarone, 973 F.2d 22, 30-31 (1st Cir.1992). Thus, in order to accept the unopposed Report and Recommendation, the Court needs only satisfy itself by ascertaining that there is no “plain error” on the face of the record. See Douglass v. United Servs. Auto, Ass’n, 79 F.3d 1415, 1419 (5th Cir.1996) (en 6anc)(extending the deferential “plain error” standard of review to the unobjected legal conclusions of a magistrate judge); Nettles v. Wainwright, 677 F.2d 404, 410 (5th Cir.1982) (en banc) (appeal from district court’s acceptance of unobjected findings of magistrate judge reviewed for “plain error”); Nogueras-Cartagena v. United States, 172 F.Supp.2d 296, 305 (D.P.R.2001) (“Court reviews [unopposed] Magistrate’s Report and Recommendation to ascertain whether or not the Magistrate’s recommendation was clearly erroneous”)(adopting the Advisory Committee note regarding Fed. R.Civ.P 72(b)); Garcia v. I.N.S., 733 F.Supp. 1554, 1555 (M.D.Pa.1990) (“when no objections are filed, the district court need only review the record for plain error”).

In the instant case, the Magistrate Judge issued a Report and Recommendation on February 22, 2012, Civil No. 11-1040, Docket No. 6. The Magistrate Judge granted the parties fourteen days to object the Report and Recommendation, from its receipt. The record shows that, as of this date, the Report and Recommendation stands unopposed. We therefor review the Magistrate’s Report and Recommendation only under “clear erroneous” or “plain error” standard.

Factual and Procedural Background

Petitioner Hernández-Albino was charged with five counts, to wit: (a) Count One for participation in a conspiracy which “obstructed and affected commerce and the movement of articles and commodities in commerce by robbery,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a); (b) Count Three for interfering with commerce in conspiracy with other defendants, “unlawfully obstruct, delay and affect, and attempt to obstruct, delay and affect, commerce,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(b)(3), “and the movement of articles and commodities in such commerce, by robbery,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(b)(1), wherein [13]*13Hernández-Albino and other defendants “did, knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully take and obtain property of Loomis Fargo at the time in the custody of JNH, a male person of legal age, employed by Loomis Fargo as guard/operator, consisting of approximately nine hundred and forty-four thousand two hundred twenty-five dollars ($944,225.00), against his will, by means of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury, immediate and future, to his person,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1951(a) and 2; (c) Court Four for the use of firearms during a crime of violence, as well as obstructing and delaying commerce by robbery, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 921(a)(3); 924(c)(l)(A)(ii) and 2; 1951(a); and, (d) Counts Seven and Eight for providing false statements to a federal agent in the District of Puerto Rico, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. See Second, Superseding Indictment, Criminal No. 07-126[5], Docket No. 227.

On March 20, 2008, Hernández-Albino pled guilty to Count Three of the Superseding Indictment, see Minutes

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16 F. Supp. 3d 10, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33918, 2014 WL 1017890, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hernandez-albino-v-united-states-prd-2014.