United States v. Arreola , 53 F. App'x 55 ( 2002 )

F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
DEC 16 2002
TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v. No. 02-4084
(D. Utah)
LUIS ARREOLA, (D.C. Nos. 2:00-CV-850-B,
2:97-CR-67-B)
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before EBEL, LUCERO, and O’BRIEN, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
Luis Arreola applies pro se 1 for a certificate of appealability under 28
U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1) of the district court’s denial of his petition for sentencing
relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. 2 Exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §
2253(c)(1), we deny his request and dismiss the petition.
A jury convicted Mr. Arreola of distribution of five or more kilograms of
cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and aiding and abetting in violation
of 18 U.S.C. § 2. He was sentenced under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A)(ii) to a
mandatory minimum of twenty years imprisonment. 3 He had earlier rejected a
plea offer by the government that would have resulted in ten years imprisonment.
In support of his application, Mr. Arreola asserts ineffective assistance of trial
and appellate counsel, failure of the district court judge to recuse himself from
the habeas action, and an unconstitutional sentence under Apprendi v. United
States, 530 U.S. 466 (2000).
A certificate of appealability will issue “only if the applicant has made a
1
We liberally construe Mr. Arreola’s pro se application. Cummings v.
Evans, 161 F.3d 610, 613 (10th Cir. 1998), cert. denied, 526 U.S. 1052 (1999).
2
The district court did not act upon Mr. Arreola’s application for a
certificate of appealability within thirty days of filing of his notice of appeal. In
this circumstance, the application is deemed denied by the district court. United
States v. Kennedy, 225 F.3d 1187, 1193, n.3 (10th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 532
U.S. 943 (2001).
3
His sentence was quantity-enhanced to a mandatory minimum of ten
years, and further enhanced to a mandatory minimum of twenty years due to a
prior conviction for a felony drug offense. See also, 21 U.S.C. § 851.
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substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right,” 28 U.S.C. §
2253(c)(2), by demonstrating “reasonable jurists could debate whether . . . the
issues presented [are] adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further.”
Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000) (quotation marks and citation
omitted).
Effectiveness of trial counsel is determined by applying a two-part test: 1)
counsel must have committed errors so serious as to fall outside the kind of
functioning required by the Sixth Amendment; and 2) the defendant must show
the deficient performance prejudiced the defense in such a fashion as to call into
question the reliability of the proceedings. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S.
668, 687 (1984). We will not indulge hindsight in evaluating counsel’s
effectiveness, as we apply “a strong presumption that counsel’s conduct falls
within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance” and “sound trial
strategy.” Id. at 689 (quotation marks omitted). A finding of ineffective
appellate counsel depends on the merits of the issue not raised. Duckett v. Mullin,
306 F.3d 982, 996 (10th Cir. 2002).
Mr. Arreola argues his trial counsel was constitutionally ineffective for a
number of reasons. First, he claims trial counsel should have objected to an
alleged violation by the trial judge of Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(e), which forbids
participation by the court in plea negotiations. No record evidence supports this
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charge. At sentencing, the trial judge simply observed Mr. Arreola had earlier
rejected a ten year plea offer which the court had encouraged him to accept when
he had the chance to do so. If error at all, it was harmless. See Fed. R. Crim. P.
11(h). For the same reason, we see no basis for recusal of the trial judge from the
§ 2255 proceedings, as Mr. Arreola had requested under 28 U.S.C. § 455(a)
(requiring disqualification where impartiality might reasonably be questioned).
Second, Mr. Arreola, who received an enhanced sentence due to a prior
felony drug conviction, asserts error because counsel did not object to the district
court’s failure to comply with 21 U.S.C. § 851(b). 4 Notably, Mr. Arreola testified
under oath to his prior felony drug conviction. The failure of the trial court to
elicit the same information, as required by statute, is harmless error. U.S. v.
Lopez-Gutierrez, 83 F.3d 1235, 1246-47 (10th Cir. 1996). The failure to advise
as to foreclosure of the right to attack the prior conviction is of no moment when
Mr. Arreola presents no grounds for such an attack. Id.4
If the United States attorney files an information under
this section, the court shall after conviction but before
pronouncement of sentence inquire of the person with
respect to whom the information was filed whether he
affirms or denies that he has been previously convicted
as alleged in the information, and shall inform him that
any challenge to a prior conviction which is not made
before sentence is imposed may not thereafter be raised
to attack the sentence.
21 U.S.C. § 851(b).
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In his final challenge to the effectiveness of trial counsel, Mr. Arreola
protests his trial attorney: 1) allowed the district judge to conduct voir dire; 2)
avoided defenses relating to chain of custody and proof of the controlled
substance 5; 3) for alleged personal reasons, agreed to a three day trial; and 4) did
not object to the government’s jury instructions. These claims are either meritless
or fail to overcome a strong presumption of reasonable trial strategy. Strickland,
466 U.S. at 689.
Turning to the constitutionality of Mr. Arreola’s sentence, we have
interpreted Apprendi 6 to limit the sentence imposed for a violation of 21 U.S.C. §
841(a) to the unenhanced standard of not more than twenty years (21 U.S.C. §
841(b)(1)(C)), unless a quantity enhancement has been charged and proven to a
jury. United States v. Jones, 235 F.3d 1231, 1236 (10th Cir. 2000). While
charged here, the drug quantity was not proven to a jury. The sentence imposed,
though, is within the statutory maximum of twenty years 7, and is therefore
constitutional. United States v. Heckard, 238 F.3d 1222, 1235 (10th Cir. 2001).
5
Mr. Arreola defended on the grounds he had no knowledge of the secret
compartment (or the cocaine it contained) in the vehicle he was driving.
6
“Other than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the
penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted
to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490.
7
Under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C), a prior felony drug conviction, such as
Mr. Arreola’s, further enhances to a statutory maximum of thirty years.
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We find no deficient performance by trial or appellate counsel, find no
error in the district court judge failing to recuse himself, and detect no Apprendi
violation. Therefore, we conclude no reasonable jurist would debate the district
court’s denial of Mr. Arreola’s § 2255 petition. Accordingly, we decline to issue
a certificate of appealability, and dismiss the petition.
Entered by the Court:
TERRENCE L. O’BRIEN
United States Circuit Judge
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