Filed: Apr. 19, 2007
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 19, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-20427 Summary Calendar CLAUDIA OJEDA, Petitioner-Appellant, versus FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS, Respondent-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No.4:05-CV-2327 - Before JOLLY, DENNIS, and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Claudia Ojeda, federal prisoner # 27596-051, appe
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 19, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-20427 Summary Calendar CLAUDIA OJEDA, Petitioner-Appellant, versus FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS, Respondent-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No.4:05-CV-2327 - Before JOLLY, DENNIS, and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Claudia Ojeda, federal prisoner # 27596-051, appea..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 19, 2007
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 06-20427
Summary Calendar
CLAUDIA OJEDA,
Petitioner-Appellant,
versus
FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS,
Respondent-Appellee.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No.4:05-CV-2327
--------------------
Before JOLLY, DENNIS, and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Claudia Ojeda, federal prisoner # 27596-051, appeals the
district court’s denial of her motion for reconsideration of its
order denying her 28 U.S.C. § 2241 habeas petition.
Ojeda argues that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) violated her
rights under the Ex Post Facto Clause and the Due Process Clause
when it terminated the Intensive Confinement Center (ICC)
Program, for which she had been recommended at the time of her
sentencing. Ojeda also argues that the termination of the
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that
this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except
under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
No. 06-20427
-2-
program without providing notice and a chance to comment violated
regulations under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).
A change in a policy that merely affects an inmate’s
“opportunity to take advantage of provisions for early release”
does not violate the Ex Post Facto Clause. Wottling v. Fleming,
136 F.3d 1032, 1037 (5th Cir. 1998) (internal quotation and
citation omitted). The termination of the ICC program did not
increase the penalty imposed and, thus, did not violate the Ex
Post Facto Clause.
Ojeda argues that she was denied due process at sentencing
because the parties and the district court were acting under the
mistaken assumption that she could participate in the ICC
program. Ojeda cannot show a due process violation based on a
postsentence change in policy thwarting the subjective intent of
the district court at sentencing. United States v. Addonizio,
442 U.S. 178, 187-88 (1979); United States v. DeLario,
120 F.3d
580, 582 (5th Cir. 1997).
Insofar as Ojeda is challenging the validity of her plea or
the lawfulness of her sentence, rather than the manner in which
her sentence is being executed, her remedy is to file a 28 U.S.C.
§ 2255 motion in the district court in which she was sentenced.
Addonizio, 442 U.S. at 185.
With respect to the alleged violations of the notice and
comment requirements of the APA, agency action is not subject to
judicial review if such action “is committed to agency discretion
No. 06-20427
-3-
by law.” Lincoln v. Vigil,
508 U.S. 182, 190-91 (1993). The
allocation of a lump-sum appropriation is an administrative
decision that is generally committed to agency discretion, and
the courts will not interfere if the funds are used to meet
“permissible statutory objectives.”
Id. at 193. The ICC program
was funded by lump-sum Congressional appropriations, and the
decision to terminate the program was discretionary. It was
merely a change in a rule of agency organization, which is exempt
from the notice requirements. 5 U.S.C. § 553(b)(A). Thus, the
change is policy was exempt from the notice and comment
requirements of the APA.
Lincoln, 508 U.S. at 195-98.
The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.