Filed: Mar. 02, 2011
Latest Update: Feb. 22, 2020
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 10-12532 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT Non-Argument Calendar MARCH 2, 2011 _ JOHN LEY CLERK D.C. Docket No. 2:02-cr-00072-JES-SPC-3 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, lllllllllllllllllllll Plaintiff-Appellee, versus FRANKIE LEE SMITH, lllllllllllllllllllll Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (March 2, 2011) Before BARKETT, MARCUS and KRA
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 10-12532 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT Non-Argument Calendar MARCH 2, 2011 _ JOHN LEY CLERK D.C. Docket No. 2:02-cr-00072-JES-SPC-3 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, lllllllllllllllllllll Plaintiff-Appellee, versus FRANKIE LEE SMITH, lllllllllllllllllllll Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (March 2, 2011) Before BARKETT, MARCUS and KRAV..
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[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________ FILED
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
No. 10-12532 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
Non-Argument Calendar MARCH 2, 2011
________________________ JOHN LEY
CLERK
D.C. Docket No. 2:02-cr-00072-JES-SPC-3
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
lllllllllllllllllllll Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
FRANKIE LEE SMITH,
lllllllllllllllllllll Defendant-Appellant.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Florida
________________________
(March 2, 2011)
Before BARKETT, MARCUS and KRAVITCH, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Frankie L. Smith appeals the district court’s denial of his pro se petition for
a writ of mandamus seeking to compel the government to file a U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1
motion to reduce his sentence. Because we conclude that the district court did not
abuse its discretion, we affirm.
Pursuant to a written plea agreement, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of
conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of crack
cocaine. The agreement included a provision that the government would consider
a sentencing reduction based on Smith’s substantial assistance to authorities in the
prosecution of others. Specifically, the provision stated,
If [Smith’s] cooperation is completed prior to sentencing, the
government agrees to consider whether such cooperation qualifies as
‘substantial assistance’ . . . warranting the filing of a motion at the
time of sentencing recommending . . . a downward departure from the
applicable guideline range pursuant to USSG §5K1.1 . . . . If
[Smith’s] cooperation is completed subsequent to sentencing, the
government agrees to consider whether such cooperation qualifies as
‘substantial assistance’. . . warranting the filing of a motion for a
reduction of sentence within one year of the imposition of sentence
pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 35(b). In any case, the defendant
understands that the determination as to whether ‘substantial
assistance’ has been provided or what type of motion related thereto
will be filed, if any, rests solely with the United States Attorney for
the Middle District of Florida, and the defendant agrees that
defendant cannot and will not challenge that determination, whether
by appeal, collateral attack, or otherwise.
At the change-of-plea hearing, Smith confirmed that there were no other promises
made by the government. The government then informed the court that it intended
to file a “5K1” based on Smith’s substantial assistance.
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At sentencing, however, the government stated that Smith’s cooperation
was not complete and that it intended to file for a reduction under Rule 35 for his
cooperation at a later date. Smith was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment,
which was later reduced to 214 months’ imprisonment based on the Rule 35
motion.
After filing several motions seeking a reduction in his sentence, Smith filed
the instant petition for a writ of mandamus to compel the government to file the
§ 5K1.1 motion. The district court denied the petition, finding that Smith had not
shown he was entitled to relief.
We review the district court’s refusal to issue a writ of mandamus for an
abuse of discretion. See Carpenter v. Mohawk Indus., Inc.,
541 F.3d 1048, 1055
(11th Cir. 2008). “Mandamus is an extraordinary remedy, and it is appropriate
only when no other adequate means are available to remedy a clear usurpation of
power or abuse of discretion by the district court.”
Id. (quotation omitted).
Further, a petitioner must prove that his “right to the issuance of the writ is clear
and indisputable.”
Id. (quotation omitted). Thus, we have articulated three
requirements for the issuance of a writ of mandamus: (1) the petitioner has a clear
right to the relief requested; (2) the defendant has a clear duty to act; and (3) no
other adequate remedy is available. Cash v. Barnhart,
327 F.3d 1252, 1258 (11th
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Cir. 2003).
In this case, the district court did not abuse its discretion.1 Smith did not
have a clear right to the relief requested because his plea agreement provided only
that the government would consider filing either a § 5K1.1 motion or a Rule 35
motion depending on when Smith’s cooperation was complete. Because Smith’s
cooperation was not completed until after the sentencing proceeding, under the
terms of the plea agreement Smith was not entitled to a reduction under § 5K1.1.
Second, the government did not have a clear duty to act. Although the
prosecutor indicated his intent to file a § 5K1.1 motion at Smith’s change-of-plea
hearing, when the time came at sentencing for such a motion, Smith’s cooperation
was not complete. Thus, the government relied on the explicit language of the
plea agreement in later filing a Rule 35 motion to reduce Smith’s sentence once
Smith’s cooperation was completed after sentencing.
Third, Smith had other adequate remedies to seek redress. Smith concedes
that he has raised his claim in numerous other filings, indicating the availability of
other remedies. That Smith could not establish his eligibility for different forms of
1
Although we address the merits of the request for mandamus relief here, we note that
the district court did not abuse its discretion because, as part of his plea agreement, Smith waived
the right to bring any challenge to the government’s decision whether to file a motion for a
reduction in sentence based on substantial assistance.
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relief does not establish that those remedies were inadequate, nor does it entitle
him to the extraordinary remedy of a writ of mandamus.
AFFIRMED.
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