Filed: Oct. 10, 2002
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-51262 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus PATRICIA TEALER, Defendant-Appellant. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas 1:01-CR-124-ALL-SS - October 9, 2002 Before HIGGINBOTHAM, DAVIS, and WIENER, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Defendant-Appellant Patricia Tealer appeals her guilty-plea conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Tealer
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-51262 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus PATRICIA TEALER, Defendant-Appellant. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas 1:01-CR-124-ALL-SS - October 9, 2002 Before HIGGINBOTHAM, DAVIS, and WIENER, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Defendant-Appellant Patricia Tealer appeals her guilty-plea conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Tealer ..
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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 01-51262
Summary Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
PATRICIA TEALER,
Defendant-Appellant.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Texas
1:01-CR-124-ALL-SS
--------------------
October 9, 2002
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, DAVIS, and WIENER, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Defendant-Appellant Patricia Tealer appeals her guilty-plea
conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
Tealer contends that her counsel misinformed her of the sentence
she would receive following her guilty plea, constituting
ineffective assistance, and that in turn this misinformation
rendered her plea involuntary. Tealer asserts further that
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
substitute counsel was also ineffective in failing to file a motion
to withdraw her plea because of prior counsel’s ineffectiveness.
Generally, a Sixth Amendment claim of ineffective assistance
of counsel may not be raised on direct appeal unless the district
court has addressed the issue. United States v. Scott,
159 F.3d
916, 924 (5th Cir. 1998). If the defendant raises such a claim for
the first time on appeal, we shall reach the merits only when the
record is sufficiently developed to permit a fair evaluation of the
defendant’s allegations. United States v. Higdon,
832 F.2d 312,
313-14 (5th Cir. 1987). In this case, the record is sufficiently
developed for us to address Tealer’s ineffective-assistance-of-
counsel claims, which we do.
To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel,
the defendant must show that (1) counsel’s performance was
deficient, and (2) the deficient performance prejudiced the
defense. Strickland v. Washington,
466 U.S. 668, 687 (1984). The
two-part Strickland test applies when a guilty plea is challenged
on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel. Hill v.
Lockhart,
474 U.S. 52, 58 (1985).
A guilty plea must be knowing, voluntary, and intelligent.
Hobbs v. Blackburn,
752 F.2d 1079, 1081 (5th Cir. 1985). Before
accepting a guilty plea, a trial court must ascertain that the
defendant “has a full understanding of what the plea connotes and
of its consequence.” Boykin v. Alabama,
395 U.S. 238, 244 (1969).
In a post-plea situation, the defendant bears the burden of
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establishing the invalidity of his guilty plea. Bonvillain v.
Blackburn,
780 F.2d 1248, 1251 (5th Cir. 1986).
A review of the instant record establishes that Tealer was
properly advised of the applicable punishment range and that her
sentence would be determined in accordance with the Sentencing
Guidelines. The record also reveals that she had reviewed and
understood her plea agreement. Nothing in the record suggests that
her counsel was ineffective, so Tealer’s plea cannot be found to
have been involuntary on that score. Furthermore, even if Tealer’s
attorney had misadvised her regarding her likely sentence, that is
not the kind of mistake that can vitiate a guilty plea. See United
States v. Gracia,
983 F.2d 625, 629 (5th Cir. 1993)(contention that
defense counsel misinformed defendant about likely sentence is not
sufficient to set aside guilty plea when the trial court properly
advised the defendant regarding the possible maximum sentence).
As there is no basis for concluding that Tealer’s plea was
involuntary, her substitute counsel could not have failed to
provide effective assistance by not filing a motion to have
Tealer’s plea withdrawn. See Koch v. Puckett,
907 F.2d 524, 527
(5th Cir. 1990) (in context of ineffective assistance claim,
counsel is not required to make futile motions or objections).
Accordingly, Tealer’s conviction based on her guilty plea is
AFFIRMED.
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