Roybal v. United States

262 F. Supp. 3d 1161
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedJune 30, 2017
DocketNos. CIV 16-01057 JB/KK; CR 12-03182 JB
StatusPublished

This text of 262 F. Supp. 3d 1161 (Roybal v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roybal v. United States, 262 F. Supp. 3d 1161 (D.N.M. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER OF DISMISSAL

James 0. Browning, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

THIS MATTER comes before the Court, under rule 4(b) of the Rules Governing Section 2255 Proceedings, on the Movant’s Motion Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 2255 in Light of Retroactivity of U.S. v. Quintero-Leyva, 823 F.3d 519 (9th Cir. 2016), filed September 23, 2016 (CIV Doc. 1; CR Doc. 1141)(“§ 2255 Motion”). The Court determines that Movant George Roybal is not entitled to relief and will dismiss the Motion as rule 4(b) provides.

On December 12, 2012, Roybal and several co-Defendants were charged under a multi-count Indictment. See Indictment, filed December 12, 2012. (CR Doc. 2). Roy-bal was charged with: (i) Conspiracy in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(B) (Count 1); (ii) Distribution of Cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(B) (Count 5); (iii) Distribution of Marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(D) (Count 15); (iv) Conspiracy to Launder Money in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) (Count 37); and (v) Use of a Telephone to Facilitate a Drug Trafficking Offense in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(b) (Counts 42 and 43). See Indictment at 1. In a Superseding Indictment and a Second Superseding Indictment, Roybal was charged with an additional count of Witness Tampering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(a)(1)(A) (Count 62). See Superseding Indictment at 1, 'filed February 12, 2014 (CR Doc, 426); Second Superseding Indictment at 1, filed September 9, 2014 (CR Doc. 626). Roybal entered into a rule- 11(c)(1)(C) Plea Agreement, filed January 14, 2015 (CR Doc. 735), and pled guilty to Count 1 (Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine) and Count 61 (Witness Tampering). See Plea Agreement at 4-5. On November 17, 2015, the Court sentenced him to 97 months of incarceration with three years' of supervised release. See Judgment; filed November 17, 2015 (CR Doc. 1070). Presumably based on the Plea Agreement’s appellate review waiver, Roybal did not appeal his sentence. See Pléa Agreement at 9.

Following entry of the Judgment, Roy-bal filed a Motion to Reduce Sentence under 28 U.S.C, § 3582. See RE: Two Point Reduction, filed May 16, 2016 (CR Doc. 1130)(“Reduction Motion”). In his Reduction Motion, Roybal seeks a 2-level reduction based on retroactive application of U.S.S.G. Amendment 782. See Reduction Motion at 1-3. The Reduction Motion is currently pending before the Court. Roybal then filed his pro se § 2255 Motion. In his § 2255 Motion, Roybal argues that he is entitled to a sentence reduction based on retroactive application of Amendment 794 to Section 3B1.2 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines. See § 2255 Motion at 1-2,

APPLICABLE LAW ON SECTION 2255 COLLATERAL REVIEW AND RETROACTIVE APPLICATION OF SENTENCING GUIDELINE AMENDMENTS

Roybal seeks collateral review of his sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Section 2255 provides:

A prisoner in custody under a sentence of a court established by Act of Congress claiming the right to be released upon the ground 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, may move the court which im[1163]*1163posed the. sentence to vacate, set aside or correct'the sentence.

28 U.S.C. § 2265(a). The defendant is to file the initial motion under § 2256 with the court that imposed the' sentence, for that court’s consideration. See In re Hanserd, 123 F.3d 922, 925 (6th Cir. 1997)(dis-cussing differences between § 2255 motions and traditional habeas petitions); Browning v. United States, 241 F.3d 1262, 1264 (10th Cir. 2001). Rule 4(b) of the Rules Governing Section 2255 Proceedings states:

The judge who receives the motion must promptly examine it. If it plainly appears from the motion, any attached exhibits, and the record of prior proceedings that the moving party is not entitled to relief, the judge must dismiss the motion and direct the clerk to notify the moving party. .

Under rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section 2255 eases, the Court is under an obligation to review á § 2255 motion, and to summarily dismiss the motion if- the filings and the record in the movant’s underling criminal proceeding establish that the movant is clearly not eligible for relief. Rule 4(b) of the Rules Governing Section 2255 Proceedings.

Roybal grounds his request for § 2255 relief on Amendment 794 to the Sentencing Guidelines. Arguments grounded on amendments to the Guidelines are ordinarily brought under 18 U.S.C. § 3852 and not as § 2255 claims. See United States v. Jones, 143 Fed.Appx. 526, 527 (4th Cir. 2005)(holding it error to construe the petitioners’ reduction-of-sentence motions based on retroactive application of Guidelines Amendment as § 2255 motions); Ono v. Pontesso, 1998 WL 757068, at *1 (9th Cir. 1998)(holding that request for a modification of a sentence pursuant to a Guidelines amendment “is most properly brought as a motion under 18 U.S.C. § 3582”); United States v. Mines, 2015 WL 1349648, at *1 (E.D. Va. 2015)(where petitioner “seeks a reduction in sentence pursuant to any amendment to the United States Sentencing Guidelines, he must file a separate motion for reduction of sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582”),

Roybal has a § 3582 Motion to Reduce Sentence pending based on a different amendment to the Sentencing Guidelines. See Reduction Motion at Í-3. Rather than amending his Reduction Motion, Roybal has chosen to bring this proceeding, asserting retroactive application of Amendment 794 under § 2255. See § 2255 Motion at 1. Under the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit’s precedent, only those amendments that are explicitly enumerated in § 3582(c)(2) are deemed to be retroactive. See-United States Sentence ing Guidelines Manual § 1B1.10(a)(2); United States v. Avila, 997 F.2d 767, 768 (10th Cir. 1993).

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Related

Browning v. United States
241 F.3d 1262 (Tenth Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Salazar-Samaniega
361 F.3d 1271 (Tenth Circuit, 2004)
United States v. Henry Avila
997 F.2d 767 (Tenth Circuit, 1993)
In Re Edward Hanserd, Movant
123 F.3d 922 (Sixth Circuit, 1997)
United States v. Jones
143 F. App'x 526 (Fourth Circuit, 2005)
United States v. Norberto Quintero-Leyva
823 F.3d 519 (Ninth Circuit, 2016)
United States v. Roybal
188 F. Supp. 3d 1163 (D. New Mexico, 2016)

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Bluebook (online)
262 F. Supp. 3d 1161, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roybal-v-united-states-nmd-2017.