Filed: Apr. 05, 2013
Latest Update: Mar. 28, 2017
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 12-4508 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. EDUAR ORLANDO ARISTIZABAL, a/k/a The Dominican, a/k/a Eduardo, a/k/a The Colombian, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Leonie M. Brinkema, District Judge. (1:12-cr-00016-LMB-1) Submitted: March 26, 2013 Decided: April 5, 2013 Before WILKINSON and AGEE, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Se
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 12-4508 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. EDUAR ORLANDO ARISTIZABAL, a/k/a The Dominican, a/k/a Eduardo, a/k/a The Colombian, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Leonie M. Brinkema, District Judge. (1:12-cr-00016-LMB-1) Submitted: March 26, 2013 Decided: April 5, 2013 Before WILKINSON and AGEE, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Sen..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 12-4508
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
EDUAR ORLANDO ARISTIZABAL, a/k/a The Dominican, a/k/a
Eduardo, a/k/a The Colombian,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Leonie M. Brinkema,
District Judge. (1:12-cr-00016-LMB-1)
Submitted: March 26, 2013 Decided: April 5, 2013
Before WILKINSON and AGEE, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior
Circuit Judge.
Dismissed in part; affirmed in part by unpublished per curiam
opinion.
Dennis E. Jones, DENNIS E. JONES & ASSOCIATES, P.C., Abingdon,
Virginia, for Appellant. Elizabeth Nash Eriksen, Sean Phillip
Tonolli, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Alexandria,
Virginia, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Eduar Orlando Aristizabal appeals his conviction for
conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, in
violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (2006) and his 120-month
sentence. Aristizabal’s attorney filed a brief pursuant to
Anders v. California,
386 U.S. 738 (1967), asserting that there
are no meritorious issues for appeal but questioning the
reasonableness of Aristizabal’s sentence and whether Aristizabal
was denied the effective assistance of counsel. The Government
has moved to dismiss the appeal as barred by Aristizabal’s
waiver of the right to appeal included in the written plea
agreement. We affirm in part and dismiss in part.
Upon review of the plea agreement and the transcript
of the Fed. R. Crim. P. 11 hearing, we conclude that Aristizabal
knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal his
sentence and that Aristizabal’s challenge on appeal to the
reasonableness of his sentence falls squarely within the scope
of his waiver of appellate rights. Accordingly, we grant in
part the Government’s motion to dismiss the appeal.
The appellate waiver does not, however, foreclose
Aristizabal’s claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel.
Therefore, we deny in part the Government’s motion to dismiss
the appeal. Aristizabal’s ineffective assistance of counsel
claim, however, is not cognizable on direct appeal unless the
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record conclusively demonstrates ineffective assistance. United
States v. King,
119 F.3d 290, 295 (4th Cir. 1997). Because the
record does not conclusively establish that Aristizabal’s
counsel was ineffective, Aristizabal must instead assert such
claims in a motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255 (West Supp.
2012). Accordingly, we decline to consider Aristizabal’s claim
on direct appeal.
In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire
record for non-waivable meritorious issues and have found none.
Accordingly, we affirm Aristizabal’s conviction and sentence as
to all non-waivable issues.
This court requires that counsel inform Aristizabal,
in writing, of the right to petition the Supreme Court of the
United States for further review. If Aristizabal requests that
a petition be filed, but counsel believes that such a petition
would be frivolous, then counsel may move in this court for
leave to withdraw from representation. Counsel’s motion must
state that a copy thereof was served on Aristizabal. We
dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal
contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the
court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
DISMISSED IN PART;
AFFIRMED IN PART
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