FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
June 22, 2010
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
TENTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
No. 10-3021
v.
(D. Kansas)
(D.C. Nos. 5:09-CV-04110-JAR and
INDELFONSO VAZQUEZ-MARTINEZ,
5:07-CR-40106-JAR-1)
also known as Indelfonso Vasquez-
Martinez, also known as Poncho,
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER DENYING CERTIFICATE
OF APPEALABILITY
Before MURPHY, GORSUCH, and HOLMES, Circuit Judges.
This matter is before the court on Indelfonso Vazquez-Martinez’s pro se
request for a certificate of appealability (“COA”). Vazquez-Martinez seeks a
COA so he can appeal the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion.
28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1)(B). Because Vazquez-Martinez has not “made a
substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right,” id. § 2253(c)(2), this
court denies his request for a COA and dismisses this appeal.
Vazquez-Martinez pleaded guilty to five counts of possession with intent to
distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of
methamphetamine. 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). Vazquez-Martinez’s plea agreement
specifically stated he “knowingly and voluntarily waive[ed] any right to appeal or
collaterally attack any matter in connection with [his] prosecution, conviction and
sentence.” Nevertheless, after the district court sentenced him to a term of
imprisonment of 262 months, Vazquez-Martinez filed an appeal seeking to
challenge the district court’s calculation of his sentence. This court enforced the
waiver of appellate rights and dismissed Vazquez-Martinez’s appeal, concluding
the issues raised on appeal fell within the scope of the waiver and enforcing the
waiver would not result in a miscarriage of justice. United States v. Vazquez-
Martinez, 306 F. App’x 434, 436 (10th Cir. 2009).
Vazquez-Martinez then filed the instant § 2255 motion in federal district
court raising six grounds for relief: (1) the district court committed “procedural
error” by considering relevant conduct in arriving at a sentence; (2) his guilty
plea was neither voluntary nor intelligent based on counsel’s misestimation of the
appropriate sentencing range; (3) counsel was ineffective for failing to appeal the
reasonableness of his sentence 1; (4) the trial court did not apply the appropriate
1
A review of the entire record in this case reveals this contention has no
basis in fact. Vazquez-Martinez’s counsel did indeed file a notice of appeal.
Counsel’s docketing statement indicated Vazquez-Martinez intended to challenge
the reasonableness of his sentence, particularly as it related to the use of relevant
conduct to arrive at the advisory sentencing range under the Guidelines. These
are the very sentencing issues Vazquez-Martinez now presses in his § 2255
motion. In response to the notice of appeal and defense counsel’s docketing
statement, the United States sought to enforce the appellate waiver set out in
Vazquez-Martinez’s plea agreement. Defense counsel opposed the government’s
motion to enforce, arguing the issues Vazquez-Martinez sought to raise were
(continued...)
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statutory penalty; (5) the district court based his sentence on judicially found
facts; and (6) counsel was ineffective for failing to advise him that his plea
agreement would preclude an appeal of his sentence. The district court denied on
the merits Vazquez-Martinez’s ineffective assistance claims relating to the
validity of the plea agreement and waiver. See United States v. Cockerham, 237
F.3d 1179, 1187 (10th Cir. 2001) (holding that a plea-agreement-based waiver of
direct appeal or collateral attack rights “does not waive the right to bring a § 2255
petition based on ineffective assistance of counsel claims challenging the validity
of the plea or the waiver”). In particular, the district court noted the plea
agreement and plea colloquy conclusively established Vazquez-Martinez was
informed that the plea agreement contained a waiver of appeal and collateral
attack. 2 The district court likewise noted that the plea agreement established
1
(...continued)
outside the scope of the waiver or, alternatively, enforcement of the waiver would
amount to a miscarriage of justice. As noted above, this court rejected those
arguments and enforced Vazquez-Martinez’s waiver of appellate rights. United
States v. Vazquez-Martinez, 306 F. App’x 434, 436 (10th Cir. 2009). Thus,
Vazquez-Martinez’s assertion counsel failed to challenge on direct appeal the
reasonableness of his sentence is utterly inconsistent with the record.
2
Paragraph nine of the plea agreement provided as follows:
Waiver of Appeal and Collateral Attack.
Defendant knowingly and voluntarily waives any right to appeal or
collaterally attack any matter in connection with this prosecution,
conviction and sentence. The defendant is aware that Title 18,
U.S.C. § 3742 affords a defendant the right to appeal the conviction
and sentence imposed. By entering into this agreement, the
defendant knowingly waives any right to appeal a sentence imposed
(continued...)
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Vazquez-Martinez was informed he faced a minimum sentence of five years and a
maximum sentence of forty years. In the petition to enter a guilty plea, Vazquez-
Martinez indicated he understood he was not guaranteed any leniency in exchange
for his guilty plea and was “prepared to accept any punishment permitted by law
which the Court sees fit to impose.” In light of these “solemn declarations in
open court,” the district court concluded Vazquez-Martinez’s claims of
ineffective assistance were without merit. Having so concluded, the district court
ruled the remainder of the claims set out in the § 2255 motion were subject to
Vazquez-Martinez’s waiver of collateral attack.
The granting of a COA is a jurisdictional prerequisite to Vazquez-
Martinez’s appeal from the denial of his § 2255 motion. Miller-El v. Cockrell,
537 U.S. 322, 336 (2003). To be entitled to a COA, Vazquez-Martinez must
2
(...continued)
which is within the guideline range determined appropriate by the
court. The defendant also waives any right to challenge a sentence
or otherwise attempt to modify or change his sentence or manner in
which it was determined in any collateral attack, including, but not
limited to, a motion brought under Title 28, U.S.C. § 2255 [except as
limited by United States v. Cockerham, 237 F.3d 1179, 1187 (10th
Cir. 2001)], a motion brought under Title 18, U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2),
and a motion brought under Fed. Rule of Civ. Pro. 60(b). In other
words, the defendant waives the right to appeal the sentence imposed
in this case except to the extent, if any, the court departs upwards
from the applicable sentencing guideline range determined by the
court. . . .
Likewise, when during the plea colloquy the district court asked Vazquez-
Martinez if he understood he was “waiving or giving up [his] right to appeal from
the prosecution, conviction, or sentence in this case,” he responded affirmatively.
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make “a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.” 28 U.S.C.
§ 2253(c)(2). To make the requisite showing, he must demonstrate “reasonable
jurists could debate whether (or, for that matter, agree that) the petition should
have been resolved in a different manner or that the issues presented were
adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further.” Id. (quotations omitted).
When a district court dismisses a § 2255 motion on procedural grounds, a movant
is entitled to a COA only if he shows both that reasonable jurists would find it
debatable whether he has stated a valid constitutional claim and debatable
whether the district court’s procedural ruling is correct. Slack v. McDaniel, 529
U.S. 474, 484-85 (2000). In evaluating whether Vazquez-Martinez has satisfied
his burden, this court undertakes “a preliminary, though not definitive,
consideration of the [legal] framework” applicable to each of his claims. Miller-
El, 537 U.S. at 338. Although Vazquez-Martinez need not demonstrate his appeal
will succeed to be entitled to a COA, he must “prove something more than the
absence of frivolity or the existence of mere good faith.” Id.
Having undertaken a review of Vazquez-Martinez’s appellate filings, the
district court’s order, and the entire record pursuant to the framework set out by
the Supreme Court in Miller-El, we conclude Vazquez-Martinez is not entitled to
a COA. The district court’s resolution of Vazquez-Martinez’s § 2255 motion is
not reasonably subject to debate and the issues he seeks to raise on appeal are not
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adequate to deserve further proceedings. Accordingly, this court DENIES his
request for a COA and DISMISSES this appeal.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
Michael R. Murphy
Circuit Judge
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