United States v. Carlos

954 F. Supp. 221, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19993, 1996 WL 769664
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedDecember 31, 1996
DocketNos. 96-3445-SAC, 91-10016-01
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 954 F. Supp. 221 (United States v. Carlos) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Carlos, 954 F. Supp. 221, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19993, 1996 WL 769664 (D. Kan. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CROW, Senior District Judge.

On March 13, 1991, the grand jury returned an eight count indictment charging Gerald L. Carlos with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Count I), five counts of distribution of cocaine base (Counts II-VI), and two counts of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime (Counts VTI-VIII). At trial, Carlos was represented by Kiehl Rathbun, appointed counsel.

Trial of this ease commenced on June 16, 1992. At the close of the government’s case, the court granted Carlos’ motion for judgment of acquittal on Count VIII, but denied his motion as it pertained to Counts I-VII. The case proceeded on the remaining counts. The primary theory of the defense was one of entrapment: undercover law enforcement officers entrapped Carlos, a person highly susceptible to suggestion based upon his low I.Q., into committing multiple narcotic or narcotic related offenses. Carlos requested and received an entrapment instruction. On June 22, 1992, the jury returned a verdict finding Carlos guilty on all of the remaining counts. On September 10, 1992, the court imposed sentence. The court imposed a primary term of incarceration of one hundred and twenty-one months on Counts I-VI and sixty months on Count VII, to be served consecutively. Carlos appealed his conviction of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime (Count VII), but apparently raised no other issues. See United States v. Carlos, No. 92-3341, 1993 WL 265149, 1993 U.SApp. LEXIS 17627 (10th Cir. July 14, 1993). The Tenth Circuit affirmed Carlos’ conviction on Count VII.

On February 9,1995, Carlos filed a motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to vacate or set aside his sentence. Carlos primarily argued that because his property was forfeited to the government prior to the time jeopardy attached in the criminal case, all of his criminal convictions are barred by double jeopardy. Carlos also challenged the sufficiency of the evidence, the propriety of the court’s jury instructions regarding “crack cocaine” and the adequacy of his counsel.

On September 29, 1995, this court entered a memorandum and order denying Carlos’ § 2255 motion, and that decision was affirmed by the Tenth Circuit. See United States v. Carlos, 906 F.Supp. 582 (D.Kan.1995), aff'd, 85 F.3d 641 (10th Cir.1996) (Table) (available on Westlaw at 1996 WL 148583).

This ease comes before the court upon Carlos’ second motion pursuant to § 2255. Carlos’ second § 2255 motion was filed on September 20, 1996. In this motion, Carlos seeks relief from his § 924(e)(1) conviction based upon the Supreme Court’s decision in Bailey v. United States, --- U.S. ---, 116 S.Ct. 501, 133 L.Ed.2d 472 (1995). In Bailey, the Supreme Court defined the word “use” found in § 924(c)(1) in a manner substantially more narrow than the Tenth Circuit had [223]*223previously construed the term. In Bailey, the Supreme Court held that “‘use’ must connote more than mere possession of a firearm by a person who commits a drug offense.” — U.S. at ---, 116 S.Ct. at 506. See United States v. Wacker, 72 F.3d 1453 (10th Cir.1995), cert. denied, — U.S. ---, 117 S.Ct. 136, 136 L.Ed.2d 84 (1996).

On October 8, 1996, the court entered an order requiring the government to file a response to Carlos’ motion. In the government’s response, it argues that Carlos’ second 2255 petition is barred by Rule 9(b) of the Rules Governing Section 2255 Proceedings (dismissal of second or successive § 2255 motions). Assuming that Carlos’ second petition is not barred by Rule 9(b), the government argues that Carlos should find no succor in the Supreme Court’s decision in Bailey, as he was charged only with “carrying” a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The government contends that the evidence was clear that Carlos “carried” a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and therefore his conviction should stand. See United States v. Cox, 83 F.3d 336, 342 (10th Cir.1996) {Bailey does not apply to a defendant charged with “carrying” a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime).

Carlos filed a reply to the government’s response. In his response, Carlos requested the appointment of counsel. The court denies that request.

Analysis

Although the government’s response addresses the issue of successive § 2255 motions under Rule 9(b), neither party even mentions the possible applicability and potential impact of the recent amendments to § 2255. Presumably both parties are unaware of those amendments.

“On April 24, 1996, the President signed into law the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 [AEDPA], Pub.L. No. 104-132, 110 Stat. 1217 (1996).” Hatch v. State of Okl., 92 F.3d 1012, 1014 (10th Cir.1996). Section 105 of the AEDPA amends § 2255 to provide that:

A second or successive motion must be certified as provided in section 2244 by a panel of the appropriate court of appeals to contain—
(1) newly discovered evidence that, if proven and viewed in light of the evidence as a whole, would be sufficient to establish by clear and convincing evidence that no reasonable factfinder would have found the movant guilty of the offense;' or
(2) a new rule of constitutional law, made retroactive to cases on collateral review by the Supreme Court, that was previously unavailable.

The cross reference is to § 2244, as amended by § 106 of the AEDPA, 110 Stat. 1221, which imposes the following procedural requirements:

(3) (A) Before a second or successive application permitted by this section is filed in the district court, the applicant shall move in the appropriate court of appeals for an order authorizing the district court to consider the application.
(B) A motion in the court of appeals for an order authorizing the district court to consider a second or successive application shall be determined by a three-judge panel of the court of appeals.
(C) The court of appeals may authorize the filing of a second or successive application only if it determines that the application makes a prima facie showing that the application satisfies the requirements of this subsection.

28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(3) (1996).

Several federal courts have considered the impact of these amendments on second or successive § 2255 motions filed after the effective date of the AEDPA. In Nunez v. United States, 96 F.3d 990, 992 (7th Cir. 1996), the defendant had filed his first § 2255 motion in 1993. The defendant’s second § 2255 motion was filed with the district court on June 27, 1996, after the effective date of the AEDPA. The defendant did not seek approval from the court of appeals prior to filing his second motion.

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Bluebook (online)
954 F. Supp. 221, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19993, 1996 WL 769664, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-carlos-ksd-1996.