Ramirez-Jimenez v. United States

212 F. Supp. 3d 684, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 172766, 2015 WL 9480473
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedDecember 29, 2015
DocketEP-14-CV-435-PRM; EP-12-CR-2901-PRM
StatusPublished

This text of 212 F. Supp. 3d 684 (Ramirez-Jimenez v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ramirez-Jimenez v. United States, 212 F. Supp. 3d 684, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 172766, 2015 WL 9480473 (W.D. Tex. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

PHILIP R. MARTINEZ, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

On this day, the Court considered Mov-ant Manuel Ramirez-Jimenez’s “Motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody” [hereinafter “Motion”] (ECF No. 89)’1 and the Government’s “Response to Motion Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside[,] or Correct Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody” [hereinafter “Response”] (ECF No. 97), filed in the above-captioned cause. In his Motion, Movant, a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution in Seagoville, Texas, challenges the sixty-three-month term of imprisonment imposed by the Court after a jury found Movant guilty of illegally reentering the United States. Movant alleges that he was prejudiced at trial on religious grounds. Movant also brings several ineffective-assistance of counsel claims. For the reasons set forth below, the Court concludes that Movant is not entitled to § 2255 relief. The Court will, accordingly, deny his Motion and dismiss his civil cause with prejudice. The Court will also deny him a certificate of appealability.

1. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On December 3, 2012, Movant was arrested and charged with illegally re-entering the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. See Criminal Compl. 1, Dec. 4, 2012, ECF No. 1. On December 26, 2012, a grand jury, sitting in the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division, returned a one-count indictment, charging Movant with illegal re-entry. Indictment 1, Dec. 26, 2012, ECF No. 9. That same day, the Government filed a “Notice of Intent to Seek Increased Statutory Penalty,” (ECF No. 10) pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2).2

[688]*688Jury selection began on February 12, 2013. During voir dire, the Court asked the jury panel a number of questions, including whether any of them had relatives who were employed in law enforcement. Trial Tr. Vol. I, at 81, July 17, 2013, ECF No. 83. Several of the prospective jurors answered affirmatively; three of these prospective jurors were later empaneled to sit on the jury after they confirmed that their relationship to individuals employed in law enforcement would not hinder their ability to be impartial in the case. See id. at 84-87.

During the trial, Border Patrol Agent Jose Rivera (“Agent Rivera”) testified that he arrested Movant after other agents observed him entering the United States from Mexico, about thirteen miles east of the port of entry at Fabens, Texas. Id. at 27-29. Agent Rivera also testified that upon searching Movant, he found “a little ... two, three-inch statue of a Santa Muerte” and garlic clove in Movant’s pocket. Id. at 29. At trial, Movant claimed that he entered the United States under duress, and not voluntarily. Trial Tr. Vol. II, at 129, July 17, 2013, ECF No. 84. Movant testified that he escaped across the border from his kidnappers, who were attempting to collect money from him. Id. at 138-41. Consequently, the Court instructed the jury on the elements of a duress defense. Ct.’s Instr. to the Jury 14-15, Feb. 14, 2013, ECF No. 65. On February 14, 2013, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on the one-count indictment of illegal re-entry. Verdict, February 14, 2013, ECF No. 67.

At his sentencing hearing, on April 11, 2013, Movant orally moved for variance and a downward departure. ECF No. 70. Specifically, Movant asked the Court to sentence him outside of the advisory guideline range based on his claim of duress. Sentence Tr. 9, Mar. 5, 2015, ECF No. 96. The Government countered, asking the Court to deny Movant’s request for variance because of the alleged inconsistencies in Movant’s account regarding his duress claim. Id. at 13. The Government also recounted that the Santa Muerte statue and the clove of garlic were found in Movant’s pocket when arrested, noting that Santa Muerte is the “patriot saint of drug dealers.” Id. at 14.

The Court ultimately rejected Defendant’s request for a sentence outside of the advisory guideline range and imposed a sentence of sixty-three months’ imprisonment, which was at the bottom of the guideline range. J. Criminal Case 2, Apr. 12, 2013, ECF No. 73.

The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the Court’s sentence on July 8, 2014. J. 1, July 30, 2014, ECF No. 88. Movant then filed his § 2255 Motion attacking his conviction on two main grounds: (1) Movant was prejudiced on religious grounds because one of the days on which his trial was convened was a religious holiday—Ash Wednesday and (2) his defense attorney provided constitutionally ineffective assistance of counsel. See Mot. 14-22.3 Regarding Movant’s ineffective assistance of counsel claims, Movant alleges that his counsel was ineffective when he (1) failed to object to the Government’s comments during his sentencing hearing regarding the Santa Muerte statue and the clove of garlic found in his pocket when arrested; (2) failed to strike biased jurors related to individuals employed in law enforcement; (3) failed to elicit certain testimony during trial relating to his duress defense; (4) allowed flawed jury in[689]*689structions to be published; and (5) failed to approach the Court or the prosecutor regarding a Government witness who allegedly committed perjury. See id.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

A. 28 U.S.C. § 2255

After a defendant has been convicted and exhausted or waived any right to appeal, a court is normally “entitled to presume that the defendant stands fairly and finally convicted.” United States v. Willis, 273 F.3d 592, 595 (5th Cir. 2001). “Relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 is reserved for transgressions of constitutional rights and for a narrow range of injuries that could not have been raised on direct appeal and would, if condoned, result in a complete miscarriage of justice.” United States v. Acklen, 47 F.3d 739, 741 (5th Cir. 1995). To receive relief pursuant to § 2255, the movant must demonstrate (1) that the sentence imposed violated the Constitution or laws of the United States, (2) that the sentencing court was without jurisdiction to impose the sentence, (3) that the sentence was in excess of the maximum authorized by law, or (4) that the sentence is otherwise subject to collateral attack. United States v. Seyfert, 67 F.3d 544, 546 (5th Cir. 1995). Ultimately, the movant bears the burden of establishing his claims of error by a preponderance of the evidence. Wright v. United States, 624 F.2d 557, 558 (5th Cir. 1980).

A collateral challenge to a conviction or sentence should not serve as ' a substitute for a direct appeal. United States v. Frady, 456 U.S. 152, 165, 102 S.Ct.

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Bluebook (online)
212 F. Supp. 3d 684, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 172766, 2015 WL 9480473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ramirez-jimenez-v-united-states-txwd-2015.