Pena v. United States

355 F. Supp. 3d 174
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedFebruary 12, 2019
Docket17 Civ. 3891 (VM); 09 Crim. 0341 (VM)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 355 F. Supp. 3d 174 (Pena v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pena v. United States, 355 F. Supp. 3d 174 (S.D. Ill. 2019).

Opinion

VICTOR MARRERO, United States District Judge

Petitioner Hector Raymond Pena ("Pena") filed a motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 2255 (" Section 2255") to vacate, set aside, or otherwise correct his conviction and sentence. ("Motion," Dkt. No. 1.)1 Pena is currently serving a sentence of life imprisonment after a jury found him guilty of three counts of murder for hire in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 1958, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 1958, and three counts of murder *177through use of a firearm during a crime of violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 924 (j).

In the Motion, Pena argued that: (1) he was denied his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel; (2) the court lacked jurisdiction to impose his sentence; and (3) he was denied his right to a speedy trial.

On June 30, 2017, the Court denied the Motion. (See"June 30 Order," Dkt. No. 3.) Pena requested leave to appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. (See Dkt. No. 4.) By Order dated February 9, 2018, the Second Circuit granted leave to appeal and simultaneously vacated the June 30 Order in part and remanded the case to provide an opportunity for Pena to amend the Motion and "clarify his claim that '[c]ounsel refused to present a defense, and call witnesses against the [G]overnment['s] case, after specifically being told to do so.' " (See Dkt. No. 6.) Shortly thereafter, the Court directed Pena to "file supplemental papers addressing the issue." (See Dkt. No. 7.)

On March 26, 2018, Pena submitted an amended motion detailing his counsel's alleged failures and requesting: (1) relief under Section 2255 ; (2) discovery; (3) to expand the record; and (4) an evidentiary hearing. (See"Amended Motion," Dkt. No. 8.) The Government opposed and responded to Pena's motion on September 20, 2018. (See"Opposition," Dkt. No. 13.) Pena replied to the Opposition on October 30, 2018. (See"Reply," Dkt. No. 14.) For the reasons discussed below, Pena's Amended Motion is DENIED in its entirety.

I. BACKGROUND

The full background of Pena's case and trial are set forth in further detail in the June 30 Order, and the Court recounts only the facts necessary for addressing the Amended Motion and Pena's claims regarding ineffective assistance of counsel.

Multiple lawyers represented Pena before trial. When Pena was arraigned, Louis Freeman was assigned to represent him. (See Dkt. Minute Entry for June 10, 2011.) After holding a conference regarding Pena's request to substitute counsel, the Court appointed Stanislao German ("German") on February 24, 2012. (See Dkt. Minute Entry for Feb. 24, 2012.) Within two weeks of his appointment, German received the Court's approval to retain the services of investigator Joseph Dwyer ("Dwyer"). (See Dkt. No. 99.) However, Dwyer's investigative service was short lived, and on June 22, 2012, the Court directed German not to employ Dwyer because of a "potential conflict that might exist." (See Dkt. Minute Entry for June 22, 2012.) German then retained the services of Andrew McHale ("McHale") to finish the investigation. In April 2013, the Court set a trial date of October 15, 2013. (See Dkt. Minute Entry for Apr. 26, 2013.) In August 2013, when German indicated that he would be unavailable for the October trial date, the Court substituted Deveraux L. Cannick, who ultimately served as Pena's trial counsel. (See Dkt. No. 173.) According to the affidavit Cannick provided in connection with Pena's Amended Motion,2 Cannick met with German and *178McHale to learn about the case and the investigation up to that point. (See "Cannick Aff.," 09 Crim. 0341, Dkt. No. 400 ¶¶ 12-14.) Despite McHale's extensive investigation, which included travel to Florida (see Dkt. No. 137), Cannick directed McHale to investigate even further (see Dkt. No. 240). Cannick did not work alone when representing Pena; he engaged the services of a co-counsel, associate, paralegal, and ballistics specialist. (See Cannick Aff. ¶ 16.)

Pena now alleges that he was denied his right to effective assistance of counsel because Cannick failed to interview certain witnesses and follow up on some of Dwyer's findings. Pena also requests discovery, to expand the record, and an evidentiary hearing.

II. DISCUSSION

As the Court noted in the June 30 Order, Pena is a pro se litigant. As such, the Court remains under an obligation to hold his submissions to "less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers." Ferran v. Town of Nassau, 11 F.3d 21, 22 (2d Cir. 1993) (internal citation omitted).

A. SECTION 2255 AND THE SIXTH AMENDMENT RIGHT TO COUNSEL

A person in federal custody may move to vacate, set aside, or correct his sentence if (1) it was imposed in violation of "the Constitution or laws of the United States"; (2) "the court was without jurisdiction to impose such sentence"; or (3) "the sentence was in excess of the maximum authorized by law, or is otherwise subject to collateral attack." 28 U.S.C. Section 2255(a). One basis for a Section 2255 claim is ineffective assistance of counsel, which is the sole focus of the Amended Motion. Thus the Court restates the law it set out in the June 30 Order regarding ineffective assistance of counsel claims.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees criminal defendants the right to effective assistance of counsel. See U.S. Const. amend. VI ; see also Kimmelman v. Morrison, 477 U.S. 365, 374-75, 106 S.Ct. 2574, 91 L.Ed.2d 305 (1986) ; Aparicio v. Artuz, 269 F.3d 78, 95 (2d Cir. 2001) ("Occasionally, the performance of defense counsel is so dismal that it ripens into the deprivation of counsel altogether and potentially violates the defendant's Sixth Amendment rights.").

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Bluebook (online)
355 F. Supp. 3d 174, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pena-v-united-states-ilsd-2019.