Filed: Oct. 25, 2018
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 18-4407 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. CLARENCE MURRAY, a/k/a Clarence J. Murray, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, at Charleston. Irene C. Berger, District Judge. (2:17-cr-00011-1) Submitted: October 23, 2018 Decided: October 25, 2018 Before NIEMEYER, KING, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion. Ch
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 18-4407 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. CLARENCE MURRAY, a/k/a Clarence J. Murray, Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, at Charleston. Irene C. Berger, District Judge. (2:17-cr-00011-1) Submitted: October 23, 2018 Decided: October 25, 2018 Before NIEMEYER, KING, and WYNN, Circuit Judges. Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion. Chr..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 18-4407
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
CLARENCE MURRAY, a/k/a Clarence J. Murray,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia,
at Charleston. Irene C. Berger, District Judge. (2:17-cr-00011-1)
Submitted: October 23, 2018 Decided: October 25, 2018
Before NIEMEYER, KING, and WYNN, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Christian M. Capece, Federal Public Defender, Jonathan D. Byrne, Assistant Federal
Public Defender, George H. Lancaster, Jr., Assistant Federal Public Defender, OFFICE
OF THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER, Charleston, West Virginia, for Appellant.
Timothy Doyle Boggess, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Beckley,
West Virginia, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Clarence Murray pled guilty, pursuant to a written plea agreement, to distribution
of heroin, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (2012), and was sentenced as a career offender to 188
months’ imprisonment. He appeals, challenging the career offender enhancement. The
United States moves to dismiss the appeal based upon the waiver of appellate rights
provision in the plea agreement.
We review de novo the validity of an appeal waiver. United States v. Copeland,
707 F.3d 522, 528 (4th Cir. 2013). Where the Government seeks to enforce an appeal
waiver and did not breach its obligations under the plea agreement, we will enforce the
waiver if the record establishes that: (1) the defendant knowingly and intelligently
waived his right to appeal, and (2) the issues raised on appeal fall within the scope of the
waiver. United States v. Blick,
408 F.3d 162, 168-69 (4th Cir. 2005). To determine
whether a waiver is knowing and intelligent, we examine “the totality of the
circumstances, including the experience and conduct of the accused, as well as the
accused’s educational background and familiarity with the terms of the plea agreement.”
United States v. General,
278 F.3d 389, 400 (4th Cir. 2002) (internal quotation marks
omitted). Generally, if the district court specifically questions the defendant regarding
the waiver during the colloquy or the record otherwise indicates that the defendant
understood the full significance of the waiver, the waiver is valid. United States v. Tate,
845 F.3d 571, 574 n.1 (4th Cir. 2017).
We have reviewed the record and find that Murray knowingly and intelligently
waived his right to appeal and that the issue he seeks to raise lies within the scope of the
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waiver. Therefore, we grant the motion to dismiss the appeal. We dispense with oral
argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the
materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
DISMISSED
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