United States v. Jorge Mata

400 F. App'x 422
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedOctober 1, 2010
Docket09-15345
StatusUnpublished

This text of 400 F. App'x 422 (United States v. Jorge Mata) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Jorge Mata, 400 F. App'x 422 (11th Cir. 2010).

Opinion

*423 PER CURIAM:

Jorge Mata appeals his 200-month sentence imposed after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess -with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(l)(B)(vii), and 846. On appeal, Mata raises two arguments. First, he asserts that the district court clearly erred by rejecting his constitutional challenge to the validity of his state court conviction for felony possession of cocaine, which was used to enhance penalties pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B). Specifically, he argues that: (i) his plea to that state charge was unknowing and involuntary because state-court counsel incorrectly advised him that his conviction for possession of cocaine would not be on his criminal record and could not be used against him in future proceedings; and (ii) the court erroneously determined that his uncorroborated testimony was insufficient to establish the invalidity of his prior conviction.

Second, he argues that his sentence, imposed following an upward variance from his guideline range of 151 to 188 months’ imprisonment, was substantively unreasonable. For the following reasons, we affirm.

I.

When consideration of a sentencing challenge is appropriate, “we review for clear error a district court’s factual findings, and review de novo the application of the law to those facts.” United States v. De La Cruz Suarez, 601 F.3d 1202, 1220-21 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 130 S.Ct. 3532, 177 L.Ed.2d 1110 (2010).

The statutory sentencing range for a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 that involves 100 kilograms or more of marijuana is 5 years’ to 40 years’ imprisonment and at least 4 years’ supervised release. 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B). Nevertheless, if a person violates this section “after a prior conviction for a felony drug offense has become final, such person shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 10 years and not more than life imprisonment,” to be followed by at least 8 years’ supervised release. Id.

In order for the enhanced penalties to apply, the government must file, as it did in this case, an information stating the previous conviction to be relied on, and the defendant may then deny the conviction or claim that it was constitutionally invalid by filing a written response. 21 U.S.C. § 851(a), (c). Mata filed a written response challenging the constitutionality of his prior state drug conviction. If the defendant challenges the use of a prior conviction, he- must “set forth his claim, and the factual basis therefor, with particularity in his response to the information[,][and] shall have the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence on any issue of fact raised by the response.” 21 U.S.C. § 851(c)(2). The only, evidence Mata proffered in support of his claim that his state conviction was constitutionally invalid was his own testimony that his state-court counsel told him that his conviction could not be used against him in future proceedings.

A guilty plea, which amounts to the waiver of the constitutional rights against self-incrimination, to trial by jury, and to confront one’s accuser’s, is only valid if it is entered intelligently and voluntarily. See Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 242, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 1711-12, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969). We must consider all of the relevant circumstances surrounding the guilty plea to determine its voluntariness. See United States v. Deal, 678 F.2d 1062, 1065 (11th Cir.1982).

*424 “[T]he voluntariness of the plea depends on whether counsel’s advice was within the range of competence demanded of attorneys in criminal cases.” Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52, 56, 106 S.Ct. 366, 369, 88 L.Ed.2d 203 (1985) (quotation omitted). Mata argues that his state-court counsel’s advice concerning the collateral consequences of his guilty plea was wrong, and, therefore, the advice was outside the range of competence demanded of attorneys.

To succeed on an ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim, a defendant must show by a preponderance of the evidence that (1) counsel’s performance was deficient, and (2) this deficiency resulted in prejudice. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2064, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). The two-part standard is applicable to ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims arising out of the plea process, and the defendant can satisfy the “prejudice” requirement by showing “a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s errors, he would not have pleaded guilty and would have insisted on going to trial.” Hill, 474 U.S. at 57-59, 106 S.Ct. at 369-70.

Contrary to Mata’s assertion, state-court counsel is not required to warn a defendant that his guilty plea “could have sentencing consequences if he [is] later convicted in federal court.” McCarthy v. United States, 320 F.3d 1230, 1234 (11th Cir.2003). “Counsel’s affirmative misrepresentation in response to a specific inquiry from the defendant may, however, under certain circumstances, constitute ineffective assistance of counsel.” United States v. Campbell, 778 F.2d 764, 768-69 (11th Cir.1985), abrogated on other grounds by Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. -, 130 S.Ct. 1473, 176 L.Ed.2d 284 (2010) (declining to rule on the collateral-versus-direct distinction).

Here, the district court did not clearly err by finding that Mata failed to satisfy his burden of proof under 21 U.S.C. § 851(c)(2). Specifically, the record supports the court’s conclusion that Mata failed to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that his guilty plea was constitutionally invalid because the only evidence he proffered was his own uncorroborated testimony that state-court counsel told him that his conviction could never be used against him in future proceedings. Moreover, even if state-trial counsel misinformed Mata that his state court conviction would carry no collateral consequences, there is no evidence in the record that he would not have pleaded guilty if counsel had given correct advice. See Hill,

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Related

United States v. De La Cruz Suarez
601 F.3d 1202 (Eleventh Circuit, 2010)
Padilla v. Kentucky
559 U.S. 356 (Supreme Court, 2010)
John M. McCarthy, Jr. v. United States
320 F.3d 1230 (Eleventh Circuit, 2003)
United States v. Lesmarge Valnor
451 F.3d 744 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Pugh
515 F.3d 1179 (Eleventh Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Williams
526 F.3d 1312 (Eleventh Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Arnaldo Guzman
558 F.3d 1262 (Eleventh Circuit, 2009)
United States v. Shaw
560 F.3d 1230 (Eleventh Circuit, 2009)
Boykin v. Alabama
395 U.S. 238 (Supreme Court, 1969)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Hill v. Lockhart
474 U.S. 52 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Gall v. United States
552 U.S. 38 (Supreme Court, 2007)
United States v. Harold Lee Deal
678 F.2d 1062 (Eleventh Circuit, 1982)
United States v. Monica Joyce Campbell
778 F.2d 764 (Eleventh Circuit, 1985)

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400 F. App'x 422, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-jorge-mata-ca11-2010.