VIRGINIA M. HERNANDEZ COVINGTON, District Judge.
This matter comes before the Court pursuant to Juan Alberto Ortiz-Lopez's second Motion for Reconsideration (Doc. # 128), deemed filed on March 14, 2017. For the reasons that follow, the Court denies the Motion.
On December 27, 2016, Ortiz-Lopez filed a Motion for Correction of Sentence (Doc. # 98), arguing that his original sentence violated the Ex Post Facto Clause of the United States Constitution because the Sentencing Guidelines used at the time of his sentencing resulted in a higher total offense level than the version in effect at the time of the violation. (Doc. # 98). The Court denied the Motion for Correction of Sentence on January 30, 2017. (Doc. # 109).
Ortiz-Lopez appealed the Court's January 30, 2017, order. (Doc. # 120). That appeal is still pending before the Eleventh Circuit. Subsequently, Ortiz-Lopez filed his first Motion for Reconsideration, signed on February 27, 2017, arguing that the Court should reconsider its denial of his Motion for Correction of Sentence. (Doc. # 125).
The Court denied the first Motion for Reconsideration on March 8, 2017, because Ortiz-Lopez's filing of the notice of appeal divested the Court of jurisdiction over the order denying his Motion for Correction of Sentence. (Doc. # 126). The Court explained that "[t]he filing of a notice of appeal is an event of jurisdictional significance — it confers jurisdiction on the court of appeals and divests the district court of its control over those aspects of the case involved in the appeal."
Now, Ortiz-Lopez has filed his second Motion for Reconsideration, insisting that the denial of the first Motion for Reconsideration should be vacated because the Court is incorrect about the divestiture of jurisdiction. Ortiz-Lopez contends that "a motion for reconsideration filed after a notice of appeal, but within the time for filing an appeal, reinvests a district court with jurisdiction to reconsider its order." (Doc. # 128 at 1).
"Although a motion for reconsideration of a district court order in a criminal action is not expressly authorized by the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure," the filing of such a motion within the 14-day period for filing a notice of appeal "tolls the time for filing a notice of appeal and the time begins to run anew following disposition of the motion."
Ortiz-Lopez argues that
And, while other circuits disagree as to whether a motion for reconsideration filed after a notice of appeal reinvests jurisdiction in the district court, the Eleventh Circuit has not spoken directly on the issue.
As the Eleventh Circuit has emphasized "[t]he filing of a notice of appeal normally divests the district court of jurisdiction over matters concerned in the appeal" and has not articulated an exception for later-filed motions for reconsideration, the Court finds that the filing of Ortiz-Lopez's Notice of Appeal did divest it of jurisdiction to reconsider the order being appealed.
Even assuming that a timely filed motion for reconsideration filed after a notice of appeal would reinvest this Court with jurisdiction, Ortiz-Lopez's first Motion for Reconsideration was untimely. Ortiz-Lopez asserts that his first "motion for reconsideration was timely filed within this Court since it was filed within the period of time allotted for appealing the January 30, 2017 order." (Doc. # 128 at 3). While motions for reconsideration are timely filed within the time to file a notice of appeal, a criminal defendant has only 14 days from the date that an order or judgment is entered to file a notice of appeal. Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A);
Here, the Court entered its order denying Ortiz-Lopez's Motion for Correction of Sentence on January 30, 2017. (Doc. # 109). But, Ortiz-Lopez's first Motion for Reconsideration was deemed filed on February 27, 2017 — 28 days after the order. (Doc. # 125). Accordingly, the first Motion for Reconsideration was untimely.
Because denial of Ortiz-Lopez's first Motion for Reconsideration was proper, the Court denies Ortiz-Lopez's second Motion for Reconsideration.
Accordingly, it is hereby
Juan Alberto Ortiz-Lopez's second Motion for Reconsideration (Doc. # 128) is