Filed: Aug. 23, 2012
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 11-5209 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff – Appellee, v. ROBERT LEVERN BAKER, JR., Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at New Bern. W. Earl Britt, Senior District Judge. (4:11-cr-00055-BR-1) Submitted: August 15, 2012 Decided: August 23, 2012 Before DUNCAN, AGEE, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Affirmed in part, dismissed in part by unpublished per curiam
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 11-5209 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff – Appellee, v. ROBERT LEVERN BAKER, JR., Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at New Bern. W. Earl Britt, Senior District Judge. (4:11-cr-00055-BR-1) Submitted: August 15, 2012 Decided: August 23, 2012 Before DUNCAN, AGEE, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Affirmed in part, dismissed in part by unpublished per curiam o..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 11-5209
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff – Appellee,
v.
ROBERT LEVERN BAKER, JR.,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of North Carolina, at New Bern. W. Earl Britt, Senior
District Judge. (4:11-cr-00055-BR-1)
Submitted: August 15, 2012 Decided: August 23, 2012
Before DUNCAN, AGEE, and WYNN, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed in part, dismissed in part by unpublished per curiam
opinion.
Steven H. Jesser, STEVEN H. JESSER, ATTORNEY AT LAW, P.C.,
Skokie, Illinois, for Appellant. Jennifer P. May-Parker,
Assistant United States Attorney, Raleigh, North Carolina, for
Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Robert Levern Baker, Jr., appeals from his convictions
for three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.
He also appeals his resulting consecutive sentences totaling
twenty-seven months. * On appeal, counsel has submitted a brief
pursuant to Anders v. California,
386 U.S. 738 (1967), finding
no meritorious issues for appeal, but questioning whether
Baker’s Sentencing Guidelines range was appropriately
calculated. In response, the Government has filed a motion to
dismiss, seeking to enforce the waiver provision in the plea
agreement and asserting that Baker waived the right to appeal
his sentence. Although informed of his right to do so, Baker
has not filed a pro se supplemental brief. We grant the motion
to dismiss in part and deny in part, and we dismiss the appeal
of Baker’s sentence and affirm his convictions.
A defendant may, in a valid plea agreement, waive the
right to appeal under 18 U.S.C. § 3742 (2006). United States v.
Wiggins,
905 F.2d 51, 53 (4th Cir. 1990). An appellate waiver
must be “the result of a knowing and intelligent decision to
forgo the right to appeal.” United States v. Broughton-Jones,
71 F.3d 1143, 1146 (4th Cir. 1995) (internal quotation marks and
*
On Counts One and Two, Baker received twelve months, and
on Count Three, he received three months. Each Count carried a
maximum sentence of twelve months.
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citation omitted). We review de novo whether a defendant has
effectively waived his right to appeal. United States v. Marin,
961 F.2d 493, 496 (4th Cir. 1992).
To determine whether a waiver is knowing and
intelligent, we examine “the totality of the circumstances,
including the experience and conduct of the accused, as well as
the accused’s educational background and familiarity with the
terms of the plea agreement.” United States v. General,
278
F.3d 389, 400 (4th Cir. 2002) (internal quotation marks and
citation omitted). Generally, if a court fully questions a
defendant regarding the waiver of his right to appeal during the
Rule 11 colloquy, the waiver is both valid and enforceable.
United States v. Johnson,
410 F.3d 137, 151 (4th Cir. 2005).
As described in the plea agreement, we conclude that
Baker knowingly and intelligently waived the right “to appeal
whatever sentence is imposed, including any issues that relate
to the establishment of the advisory Guideline range, reserving
only the right to appeal from a sentence in excess of the
applicable advisory Guideline range.” The language of the
waiver provision is clear and unambiguous, and Baker, a police
officer, was well versed in its import. At the Fed. R. Crim. P.
11 hearing, the court reviewed the plea agreement, including the
waiver. Baker stated that he understood and accepted the plea
agreement. Of significance, Baker does not challenge the
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validity of the waiver provision on appeal. Accordingly, the
appellate waiver is valid and enforceable. Because Baker was
not sentenced in excess of the calculated Guidelines range, we
grant the Government’s motion to dismiss in part and dismiss the
appeal of Baker’s sentence. However, because the waiver did not
purport to cover any challenges to Baker’s convictions, we deny
the motion to dismiss in part.
Neither Baker nor his counsel questions the validity
of his convictions on appeal. Nonetheless, because this appeal
is before this court pursuant to Anders, a review of the record
for unwaived meritorious claims is required. Our review of the
plea transcript reveals that the district court substantially
complied with Fed. R. Crim. P. 11 and that Baker’s guilty plea
was knowing and voluntary. Accordingly, we find no meritorious
issues for appeal.
As such, we affirm Baker’s convictions. We deny
counsel’s motion to withdraw at this time. This court requires
that counsel inform Baker in writing of his right to petition
the Supreme Court of the United States for further review. If
Baker requests that a petition be filed, but counsel believes
that such a petition would be frivolous, then counsel may motion
this court for leave to withdraw from representation. Counsel’s
motion must state that a copy thereof was served on Baker. We
dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal
4
contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the
court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED IN PART;
DISMISSED IN PART
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