United States v. Ayala

690 F. Supp. 1014, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7990, 1988 WL 79796
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedJune 3, 1988
Docket87-884-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 690 F. Supp. 1014 (United States v. Ayala) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Ayala, 690 F. Supp. 1014, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7990, 1988 WL 79796 (S.D. Fla. 1988).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING WITHDRAWAL OF PLEA

HASTINGS, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE comes before the Court on Defendant Ayala’s Motion to Withdraw Plea, filed May 19, 1988. Defendant Ayala raises several grounds in support of his conclusion that the plea was not entered into knowingly and voluntarily.

A defendant has the burden of showing a “fair and just reason” for withdrawal of his plea. U.S. v. Lombardozzi, 436 F.2d 878 (2d Cir.1971); Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(d). In making this determination, a district court considers (1) whether close assistance of counsel was available; (2) whether the plea was knowing and voluntarily; (3) whether judicial resources would be conserved; and (4) whether the government would be prejudiced if the defendant is allowed to withdraw his plea. U.S. v. Buckles, 843 F.2d 469, 472 (11th Cir.1988) (citations omitted).

Initially, the Court notes that defendant Ayala was represented by counsel throughout the plea bargaining process and subsequent plea colloquy with the Court. Thus, Ayala cannot complain of coercion where his attorney employed his best professional judgment in recommending a plea of guilty. Id. at 472-73.

First, Ayala contends that he did not understand the sentence range applicable in his case in light of his acceptance of responsibility and any recommendation that would be made to the Court. By his own admission, Ayala recognizes that a recommendation is not binding and sentencing lies in the ultimate discretion of the Court. Consequently, on this basis Ayala can not argue that the guilty plea was entered into involuntarily and it cannot be withdrawn. U.S. v. Griffin, 816 F.2d 1 (D.C.Cir.1987). In addition, Ayala’s assertion of innocence —a contention which he claims prevents him from accepting responsibility and thereby forecloses a more favorable sen- *1016 tenting recommendation from the Government — is insufficient. Such a declaration can not negate his plea, see Buckles at 472-73, particularly when the Court informed Ayala of the maximum sentence he could receive prior to accepting his plea. 1 See Baker v. U.S., 781 F.2d 85 (6th Cir. 1986). The plea is not involuntary merely because it was induced by a promise of a recommendation of a lenient sentence upon acceptance of responsibility. More importantly, Ayala’s statements in open court that his plea is intelligent and voluntary 2 and not a product of coercion, carry a presumption of veracity, U.S. v. Darling, 766 F.2d 1095 (7th Cir.1985); U.S. v. Gonzalez-Mercado, 808 F.2d 796 (11th Cir.1987), and of constitutional adequacy, Downs-Morgan v. U.S., 765 F.2d 1534 (11th Cir.1985), which he has not overcome.

Second, Ayala suggests he was also “pressured” because the plea offer was extended only as a “package deal” to both co-defendants. Such “package deal” plea offers, however, are not per se impermissible. U.S. v. Wheat, 813 F.2d 1399 (9th Cir.1987). The plea offer in this case did not deprive him of an individual determination of guilt. Id. While Ayala’s concern for his “good friend” (co-defendant Godoy) is understandable, the additional pressure on his decision to plead guilty created by their relationship in no way implicates coerciveness on the part of the Government that would entitle Ayala to withdraw his plea. See U.S. v. Sutton, 794 F.2d 1415 (9th Cir.1986) (threat of prosecution of defendant’s female companion and mother of his children insufficient to set guilty plea aside where companion was co-defendant).

Third, Ayala contends that the Government’s failure to disclose prior to its announcement in open court that a fingerprint analysis report on the contraband revealed only the fingerprints of co-defendant Godoy would constitute a violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). Thus, Ayala argues that he did not have time to consider its implication prior to entering a plea of guilty. In its response, the Government asserts this contention to be disingenuous because Ayala’s counsel was personally informed prior to the guilty plea of the results of the fingerprint analysis. This issue, however, does not require a resolution. A violation of Brady would not affect the consensual nature of the plea thereby impairing its validity. Assuming arguendo that the Government had not made its disclosure prior to the acceptance of the plea, neither Ayala or his counsel manifested a desire to withdraw or reconsider the plea 3 , *1017 even after Ayala had been made more fully aware of the rights he was giving up during the Rule 11 plea colloquy. Ayala has not claimed ineffective assistance of counsel, and under these circumstances can not undermine the validity of the plea.

More importantly, Ayala's Brady claim is a nonjurisdictional challenge waived by the guilty plea. See e.g., Hayle v. U.S., 815 F.2d 879 (2d Cir.1987) (plea of guilty waives all challenges to prosecution except those going to court’s jurisdiction); U.S. v. Taylor, 814 F.2d 172, 174 (5th Cir. 1987) (same, thus claims of prosecutorial breach of pretrial agreement and vindictiveness, illegal pretrial detention, and failure of court to rule on motions must fail); U.S. v. Fairchild, 803 F.2d 1121 (11th Cir. 1986) (same, thus claims of duplicitous and vague indictment, prosecutorial vindictiveness and insufficient factual basis to support indictment must fail). Ayala cannot attack the validity plea unless there exists a jurisdictional defect on the face of the indictment. U.S. v. Baugh, 787 F.2d 1131

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Bluebook (online)
690 F. Supp. 1014, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7990, 1988 WL 79796, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-ayala-flsd-1988.