Wisham v. United States

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedJune 26, 2024
Docket3:23-cv-00027
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Wisham v. United States, (S.D. Ill. 2024).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

ANTHONY C. WISHAM,

Petitioner,

v. Case No. 23-CV-00027-SPM

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Respondent.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

McGLYNN, District Judge: Petitioner Anthony C. Wisham, an inmate incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale, Louisiana, filed a Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. (Doc. 1). Within the motion, Wisham raises various ineffective assistance of counsel arguments. (See id.). The Government filed a Response (Doc. 29) to which Wisham replied (Doc. 30). For the following reasons set forth, the Petition is DENIED. RELEVANT FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On September 17, 2021, absent a plea agreement, Wisham pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) (Counts 1 and 2); possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (Count 3); and being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 § U.S.C. 924(a)(2) (Count 4). See United States v. Anthony C. Wisham, No. 21-cr-30027 (S.D. Ill. 2022), (Doc. 29, p. 3) [hereinafter Criminal Case]. This Court sentenced Wisham to 135 months each for Counts 1–3 and 120 months as to Count 4, with all counts to run concurrently. Criminal Case, (Doc. 39, p. 3). Wisham filed the instant § 2255 Petition attacking his sentence on December

27, 2022. (See Doc. 1). In his Petition, Wisham raises various claims of ineffective assistance of counsel—specifically, he argues that his counsel (Attorney Paul Sims) was ineffective because counsel failed to object to Wisham’s criminal history falling within Category III (Claim One), counsel failed to object to the dangerous weapon enhancement application (Claim Two), counsel failed to pursue a two-point level reduction pursuant to the safety valve provision (Claim Three), and counsel failed to consult with Wisham about his right to appeal (Claim Four). (See Doc. 1). The

Government filed a Response to Wisham’s Petition. (Doc. 29). Wisham also filed a Reply. (Doc. 30). APPLICABLE LEGAL STANDARDS Relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 is limited. Unlike a direct appeal, in which a defendant may complain of nearly any error, § 2255 may be used only to correct errors that litigate the sentencing court’s jurisdiction or are otherwise of constitutional

magnitude. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has emphasized that relief under § 2255 is “available only in extraordinary situations, such as an error of constitutional or jurisdictional magnitude or where a fundamental defect has occurred which results in a complete miscarriage of justice.” Blake v. United States, 723 F.3d 870, 878 (7th Cir. 2013) (quoting Prewitt v. United States, 83 F.3d 812, 816 (7th Cir. 1996)); see Harris v. United States, 366 F.3d 593, 594 (7th Cir. 2004); Borre v. United States, 940 F.2d 215, 217 (7th Cir. 1991). Section 2255 cannot be used as a substitute for a direct appeal or to relitigate issues decided on direct appeal. See Sandoval v. United States, 574 F.3d 847, 850 (7th Cir. 2009); White v.

United States, 371 F.3d 900, 902 (7th Cir. 2004); Coleman v. United States, 318 F.3d 754, 760 (7th Cir. 2003), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 926 (2003). Section 2255 requires a court to vacate, set aside, or correct the sentence of a prisoner in custody if it finds that “the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States, or 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.

“[R]elief under § 2255 is an extraordinary remedy because it asks the district court to essentially reopen the criminal process to a person who already has had an opportunity for full process.” Almonacid v. United States, 476 F.3d 518, 521 (7th Cir. 2007). ANALYSIS Wisham raises claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, which may be

brought for the first time under a § 2255 motion. Massaro v. United States, 538 U.S. 500, 504 (2003); United States v. James, 635 F.3d 909, 916 (7th Cir. 2011). Ineffective assistance of counsel claims are evaluated under the two-prong test first enumerated in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 688, 690, 694 (1984). See McDowell v. Kingston, 497 F.3d 757, 761 (7th Cir. 2007) (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690, 694). “The Sixth Amendment right of effective assistance of counsel applies to a criminal defendant’s trial, sentencing, and the first appeal of right.” Jones v. Welborn, 877 F. Supp. 1214, 1219 (S.D. Ill. 1994). Under Strickland, the defendant “must demonstrate: (1) ‘that counsel's

performance was deficient,’ and (2) ‘that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense.’” Thompson v. Vanihel, 998 F.3d 762, 767 (7th Cir. 2021) (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687). To satisfy the performance prong, the defendant must overcome “a strong presumption that counsel’s conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689. To prove prejudice, the defendant must establish that “there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been

different.” Id. at 694. The Court is not required to analyze both the performance and prejudice prong, because the failure to satisfy either prong will be fatal to the claim. See Ebbole v. United States, 8 F.3d 530, 533 (7th Cir. 1993); United States v. Slaughter, 900 F.2d 1119, 1124 (7th Cir. 1990). I. Failure of Counsel to Object to Application of Criminal History Category III

Wisham’s first claim is that his counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the application of Criminal History Category III. (See Doc. 1, pp. 1–2). Wisham received two criminal history points for possession of a controlled substance from an arrest on March 22, 2009, for which he was later sentenced to one year of imprisonment. Criminal Case, (Doc. 29., ¶ 56). Wisham received an additional two criminal history points for possession of a controlled substance from an arrest on September 30, 2011, for which he was later sentenced to one year of imprisonment. Id., (Doc. 29., ¶ 57).

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