Filed: Nov. 05, 2019
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT November 5, 2019 _ Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. No. 19-2122 (D.C. No. 1:17-CR-00578-WJ-1) EFRAIN QUEZADA-TRUJILLO, (D. N.M.) Defendant - Appellant. _ ORDER AND JUDGMENT* _ Before HARTZ, MATHESON, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges. _ Efrain Quezada-Trujillo pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 72 months’ impri
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT November 5, 2019 _ Elisabeth A. Shumaker Clerk of Court UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. No. 19-2122 (D.C. No. 1:17-CR-00578-WJ-1) EFRAIN QUEZADA-TRUJILLO, (D. N.M.) Defendant - Appellant. _ ORDER AND JUDGMENT* _ Before HARTZ, MATHESON, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges. _ Efrain Quezada-Trujillo pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 72 months’ impris..
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FILED
United States Court of Appeals
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT November 5, 2019
_________________________________
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v. No. 19-2122
(D.C. No. 1:17-CR-00578-WJ-1)
EFRAIN QUEZADA-TRUJILLO, (D. N.M.)
Defendant - Appellant.
_________________________________
ORDER AND JUDGMENT*
_________________________________
Before HARTZ, MATHESON, and MORITZ, Circuit Judges.
_________________________________
Efrain Quezada-Trujillo pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
He was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment—well below the advisory guideline
range of 135 to 168 months. Although his plea agreement contained a waiver of his
right to appeal, he filed a notice of appeal. The government then filed a motion to
enforce the appeal waiver in the plea agreement pursuant to United States v. Hahn,
359 F.3d 1315, 1328 (10th Cir. 2004) (en banc) (per curiam).
In response to the motion to enforce, Mr. Quezada-Trujillo’s counsel stated:
“Counsel for Defendant does not have a good faith legal or factual basis to contest
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines
of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for
its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.
the government’s Motion to Enforce Appellate Waiver in Plea Agreement.” Resp. at
1. Although counsel did not expressly invoke Anders v. California,
386 U.S. 738
(1967), his statement is consistent with the Supreme Court’s directive in Anders, see
id. at 744 (explaining that “if counsel finds his [client’s] case to be wholly frivolous,
after a conscientious examination of it, he should so advise the court”). We then
gave Mr. Quezada-Trujillo an opportunity to file a pro se response to the motion to
enforce. See
id. (directing that time be allowed for the defendant “to raise any points
that he chooses”). The deadline has passed and, to date, he has not filed a response.
Anders explains that the court should “then proceed[], after a full examination of all
the proceedings, to decide whether the case is wholly frivolous.”
Id. We have
reviewed the motion to enforce, the plea agreement, and the transcript of the
change-of-plea hearing and we agree that there is no non-frivolous basis to contest
the motion to enforce.
We conclude that Mr. Quezada-Trujillo’s appeal of his sentence is within the
scope of the appeal waiver in his plea agreement; he knowingly and voluntarily
waived his appellate rights; and enforcing the waiver would not result in a
miscarriage of justice. See
Hahn, 359 F.3d at 1325 (describing the factors this court
considers when determining whether to enforce a waiver of appellate rights).
Accordingly, we grant the motion to enforce the appeal waiver and dismiss the
appeal.
Entered for the Court
Per Curiam
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