United States v. Bailey

209 F. Supp. 3d 55, 2016 WL 5078837
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedSeptember 16, 2016
DocketCriminal No. 2003-0441
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 209 F. Supp. 3d 55 (United States v. Bailey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Bailey, 209 F. Supp. 3d 55, 2016 WL 5078837 (D.D.C. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

REGGIE B. WALTON, United States District Judge

On December 22, 2006, the Court sentenced the defendant in this criminal matter to a term of life imprisonment after he was found guilty by jury verdict of Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine. *59 Judgment in a Criminal Case (“Judgment”) at 1-2, ECF No. 572. Currently before the Court is the defendant’s pro se petition to vacate the Court’s sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (2012), in which he asserts several claims of ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel and requests an evidentiary hearing. See Motion Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence [ ] (“Def.’s Mot.”), ECF No. 922. In addition, the defendant contends that he is entitled to sentencing relief in accordance with the Supreme Court’s opinion in Johnson v. United States, — U.S. -, 135 S.Ct. 2551, 2563, 192 L.Ed.2d 569 (2015). See Movant’s Supplemental/Amended Pleadings in Support of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus Pursuant to Title 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255 (“Def.’s Supp.”), ECF No. 949. 1 Upon careful consideration of the defendant’s submissions, the Court concludes that it must deny the defendant’s petition in its entirety. 2

I. BACKGROUND

The defendant appealed his conviction and sentence to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on December 27, 2006. Notice of Appeal at 1, ECF No. 564. Specifically, the defendant raised the following claims: (1) that “the district court erred in denying his motion to suppress the drugs seized from his car,” United States v. Bailey, 622 *60 F.3d 1, 2 (D.C.Cir.2010); 3 and (2) that the Court erred in its “application of the career offender provision of the Sentencing Guidelines,” id. at 10. The Circuit held that this Court “did not err in ruling there was articulable suspicion to stop [the defendant] and properly denied the motion to suppress,” id. at 7, but remanded the case to this Court “for consideration of [the defendant's policy objection to the career offender provision of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, § 4B1.1, in view of Kimbrough v. United States, 552 U.S. 85, 128 S.Ct. 558, 169 L.Ed.2d 481 (2007), which was decided after [the defendant’s sentencing,” id. at 3. The Circuit also instructed this Court to address the defendant’s claims that were raised during pretrial proceedings that “false testimony was presented to the grand jury” by Detective Steven Manley, “and if so, whether it had a spillover effect on the grand jury’s determinations.” Id. at 11-12.

On remand, the Court again concluded at resentencing “that the within-Guidelines sentence was appropriate in light of [the defendant’s significant criminal history and the effects of [the defendant’s drug dealing on the community.” See United States v. Bailey, 544 Fed.Appx. 1, 1 (D.C.Cir.2013). The Court also addressed allegations raised by the defendant about “allegedly false grand jury testimony,” noting that “the Court has confirmed the government’s earlier representation that no false testimony was presented to the grand jury.” H. at 2. The defendant again appealed his conviction and sentence to the Circuit, both of which were affirmed. Id. Pertinent to the defendant’s motion here, the Circuit noted that the defendant for the first time in his appeal contended that “a second police officer, Officer Franchak, provided false testimony to the grand jury.” Id. The Circuit summarily rejected this argument, explaining that:

Any error by the District Court in declining to address that issue would be harmless, for two reasons. First, the supposed misstatements cited by [the defendant] are immaterial. Second, the jury’s decision to convict [the defendant] necessarily established that probable cause to arrest and indict [the defendant] did exist.

Id. (citing United States v. Mechanik, 475 U.S. 66, 106 S.Ct. 938, 89 L.Ed.2d 50 (1986)).

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, a person in custody pursuant to a federal court sentence may “move the court which imposed the sentence to vacate, set aside[,] or correct the sentence,” on grounds that “the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States, ... 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.” 28 U.S.C. § 2255(a). If the reviewing court finds that any grounds requiring relief under § 2255(a) are satisfied, it “shall vacate and set the judgment aside[,] and [it] shall [also] discharge the prisoner[,] resentence him[,] grant a new trial[,] or correct the sentence as may appear appropriate.” Id. § 2255(b).

III. ANALYSIS

In his petition, the defendant claims that he was provided ineffective assistance of *61 counsel by both his trial and appellate attorneys (Counts One, Two, and Three), see Def.’s Mot. at 5-9; Def.’s Mem. at 18-34, that he was subjected to Fourth Amendment violations at the hands of law enforcement (Counts Four, Five, Six, and Seven), Def.’s Mot. at 9, 10(a); Def.’s Mem. at 35-53, that law enforcement officers testified improperly during his trial (Count Eight), Def.’s Mot. at 10(a); Def.’s Mem. at 54-56, that law enforcement officers improperly interrogated him in violation of the requirements of Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966) (Counts Nine and Ten), Def.’s Mot. at 10(a); Def.’s Mem. at 57-62, and that the cumulative impact of the purported errors at trial warrants reversal of his conviction (Count Eleven), Def.’s Mot. at 10(b); Def.’s Mem. at 63. 4 The defendant also contends that he is entitled to sentencing relief because of intervening controlling case law. See generally Def.’s Supp. at 4.

A. The Defendant’s Claims of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

“To prevail on an ineffective, assistance of counsel claim, a defendant must demonstrate both deficient performance [by his counsel] and prejudice to him [because of counsel’s deficient performance].” United States v. Williams, 488 F.3d 1004, 1010 (D.C.Cir.2007) (citing Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984)).

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Bluebook (online)
209 F. Supp. 3d 55, 2016 WL 5078837, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-bailey-dcd-2016.