William Steve Greenup v. United States

401 F.3d 758, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 4943, 2005 WL 701141
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedMarch 29, 2005
Docket03-6530, 03-6580
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 401 F.3d 758 (William Steve Greenup v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
William Steve Greenup v. United States, 401 F.3d 758, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 4943, 2005 WL 701141 (6th Cir. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION

EDMUNDS, District Judge.

This is an appeal from an order denying petitioner’s motion to vacate his sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, and an appeal of the district court’s refusal to release petitioner on bond pending his § 2255 appeal. We have consolidated the two appeals for consideration. These are his fourth and fifth appeals regarding his sentence and conviction. See United States v. Greenup, No. 97-6465, 1999 WL 506978 (6th Cir. June 7, 1999) (“Greenup I”) (affirming Greenup’s conviction and sentence); Greenup v. United States, 57 Fed.Appx. 620 (6th Cir.2003) (“Greenup II”) (affirming district court’s denial of Greenup’s motion for bond pending his motion to vacate); United States v. Greenup, 86 Fed.Appx. 167 (6th Cir.2004) (“Greenup III”) (affirming district court’s denial of Greenup’s motion to modify his sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2)). For the reasons explained below, we AFFIRM.

I. Background

In 1995, Greenup entered the home of Barbara Ross, the assistant branch manager of Union Planters Bank branch in Hendersonville, Tennessee, to kidnap her and force her to assist him and others in robbing the bank. Ross’s daughter called the police. They arrived at the house and arrested Greenup before he left the house with Ross.

On November 30, 1995, Magistrate Judge William J. Haynes, Jr. 1 signed a complaint charging Greenup with attempted kidnaping in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1201, 1202. Greenup was arrested the *761 same day. Thomas Watson was appointed to represent him. On December 8, 1995, Greenup filed a waiver of his right to have his case presented to a grand jury within 30 days of his arrest. He then began cooperating with the government by participating in debriefing sessions with law enforcement officials. On June 6, 1996, the United States Attorney’s office sent Watson a plea agreement offer that required Greenup to enter a guilty plea to attempted kidnaping and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. United States Attorney William Cohen expressed that he did not believe Greenup was candid about information he provided about a co-defendant, John Walker. The letter also included the following statement:

In recognition of his cooperation concerning the Montgomery County Jail attempted escape, threats made by other inmates, and the information concerning . narcotics he has provided, the government will not require that your client enter a plea of guilty to a charge of violating 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). However, because of the difficulties we encountered with his lack of credibility which led, in large part, to our decision not to try Mr. Walker, we will not be moving for a 5K downward departure. We will, however, make known the nature and extent of his cooperation to the trial judge for his consideration in determining where within the range your client should be sentenced.

On August 21, 1996, the government charged Greenup in an information with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1201 (attempted kid-naping) and § 922(d) (felon in possession of a weapon). Greenup pled guilty to the information on October 17, 1996. Greenup later filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea, and the district court, Judge Thomas A. Higgins, held a hearing on his motion. At the hearing on March 31, 1997, Green-up stated that he did not think he was guilty of kidnaping. Greenup then sought to withdraw his motion to withdraw his plea, but the district court denied the motion to withdraw his motion to withdraw his plea, granted his motion to withdraw his plea, and set the matter for a July 8, 1997 trial.

Up until February 24, 1997, Thomas Watson represented Greenup. On February 24, 1997, the district court granted Watson’s motion to withdraw, and appointed Joseph Edwards to represent Greenup. Edwards represented Greenup through trial and continued as his lawyer on his direct appeal.

On April 28, 1997, the district court filed a notice of plea hearing for May 5, 1997. On May 5, 1997, Greenup attempted to enter another guilty plea, but the district court rejected his plea, stating: “I don’t believe that the man is reconciled to fully and completely acknowledging and accepting his responsibility in this case, equivocates in every essential juncture, and the thing to do in this case is simply try the case and let the record speak for itself and let 12 people speak to it.”

On June 4, 1997, a federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment that recharged the two offenses in the Information, but added seven counts: conspiracy to commit bank larceny and to enter banks with the intent to commit a larceny in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; two counts of attempting to enter a bank with intent to commit a larceny or felony in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a); bank larceny in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(b); conspiracy to kidnap in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201(c); attempted armed bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(d); and using and carrying a firearm during crimes of violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). After a trial, a jury convicted Greenup on all counts.

*762 This court affirmed his conviction and sentence on direct appeal. See Greenup I. Greenup then moved to modify his sentence. District Court Judge Haynes denied that motion, and this court affirmed. Greenup then moved pro se to vacate his sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 based on the following issues: (1) denial of Greenup’s right to bond before trial; (2) ineffective assistance of trial counsel on the basis that trial counsel failed to object to denial of bond, failed to move for dismissal of the indictment because of Green-up’s rights under the Constitution and the Speedy Trial Act, failed to challenge Greenup’s confessions, failed to interview witnesses before the suppression hearing, failed to give an effective closing argument, admitted Greenup’s guilt during sentencing, failed to include all of Greenup’s claims on appeal, and required Greenup to represent himself due to the ineffectiveness; (3) Speedy Trial Act issues; and (4) the district court erroneously interpreted 18 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
401 F.3d 758, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 4943, 2005 WL 701141, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/william-steve-greenup-v-united-states-ca6-2005.