SUSAN RUSS WALKER, Chief Magistrate Judge.
Petitioner Ricky Randall Rex Smith ("Smith") is before the court with a pro se motion (Doc. No. 2) challenging the jurisdiction of this court in Criminal Case No. 1:07cr183-WKW, in which Smith was sentenced to life in prison upon his conviction for production, transportation, and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a), 2252A(a)(1) & 2252A(a)(5)(B). Smith alleges that this court was without jurisdiction to hear his criminal case and argues that his convictions and sentence were obtained in violation of his constitutional rights. Doc. No. 2 at 1-2. For the reasons that follow, the court finds that Smith is not entitled to any relief.
Smith attacks the legality of his conviction and sentence in this court. The law directs that 28 U.S.C. § 2255 is the exclusive remedy for a federal prisoner to collaterally attack a conviction and/or sentence imposed by a federal court. See 28 U.S.C. § 2255(a) & (e); United States v. Holt, 417 F.3d 1172, 1174-75 (11
This is the second 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion filed by Smith attacking the convictions and sentence obtained in Criminal Case No. 1:07cr183-WKW. Smith's first such § 2255 motion was filed on November 13, 2012. See Civil Action No. 1:12cv1006-WKW-SRW, Doc. No. 1. On March 19, 2015, this court denied that § 2255 motion with prejudice, holding that Smith had failed to file the motion within the one-year limitation period in 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f). Id., Doc. Nos. 36 & 38 (Order of District Court Adopting Magistrate Judge's Recommendation [Doc. No. 31] & Final Judgment of District Court).
The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act ("AEDPA") provides that, to file a second or successive § 2255 motion in the district court, the movant must first move in the appropriate court of appeals for an order authorizing the district court to consider the motion. See 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(3)(A). The appellate court, in turn, must certify that the second or successive § 2255 motion contains "(1) newly discovered evidence that, if proven and viewed in light of the evidence as a whole, would be sufficient to establish by clear and convincing evidence that no reasonable factfinder would have found the movant guilty of the offense; or (2) a new rule of constitutional law, made retroactive to cases on collateral review by the Supreme Court, that was previously unavailable." See 28 U.S.C. § 2255(h).
For purposes of the AEDPA's successive motion rules, the dismissal of an initial § 2255 motion as untimely "counts" and renders a subsequent § 2255 motion "successive." See Villanueva v. United States, 346 F.3d 55, 59-61 (2
Smith has yet to receive certification from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals authorizing this court to consider a successive § 2255 motion. The motion now before this court is Smith's second § 2255 motion attacking the same convictions and sentence. Because Smith has not obtained permission from the appellate court to file a successive § 2255 motion, this court lacks the jurisdiction to consider the merits of his present § 2255 motion and the motion is due to be summarily dismissed. See, e.g., Farris, 333 F.3d at 1216; Boone v. Secretary, Dept. of Corrections, 377 F.3d 1315, 1317 (11
Accordingly, it is the RECOMMENDATION of the Magistrate Judge that the § 2255 motion be denied and this case dismissed, as Smith has failed to obtain the requisite order from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals authorizing this court to consider a successive § 2255 motion.
It is further
ORDERED that the parties shall file any objections to this Recommendation on or before