F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
NOV 4 2003
TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee, No. 02-2158
v. (D.C. No. CR-00-410-JP)
MELVIN H. NELSON, (D. New Mexico)
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before TACHA, Chief Circuit Judge, McKAY and McCONNELL, Circuit
Judges.
After examining the briefs and the appellate record, this panel has
determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the
determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G).
The case is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
Defendant appeals his conviction by jury for Conspiracy and Possession
with Intent to Distribute More Than 100 Kilograms of Marijuana in violation of
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B) (Counts I and II) and for Carrying and
Possessing a Firearm During and in Relation to and Furtherance of a Drug
Trafficking Crime in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). Counts I and II
resulted in a sentence of 78 months at the lowest end of the guideline range based
on a criminal history category of I and a total offense level of 28. Count III
resulted in a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 months to run consecutively,
resulting in a total sentence of 138 months of imprisonment.
Trial counsel withdrew after sentencing, and a new attorney was appointed
to represent Appellant on appeal. Appellate Counsel filed a brief following the
mandate of Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). This filing included all
the appropriate notices to Appellant. Counsel filed a simultaneous Motion to
Withdraw. Appellant has not notified this court that he has new counsel.
Appellant has filed several motions and other exhibits and explanatory
material pro se. However, he has not identified any issues on appeal. Our review
of the record reveals that the district court appointed Appellant three different
attorneys at various stages of his case, one of which reviewed his case for
meritorious appellate issues. Our review of the record, Appellate Counsel’s
Anders’ brief, and all of Appellant’s filings has not revealed any meritorious
issues on appeal. Appellant’s main claim seems to be that the wrong result was
reached at trial because he is innocent. While we are moved by the letters from
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Appellant’s sisters and friends, we can find nothing in the record to support
overturning the jury’s conviction.
Appellant filed two motions with our court to compel his attorney to send
him copies of “all transcripts, files, records, and documents” relating to his case.
Response to Government’s Notice at 2. Appellant admits that he received the
transcripts and the Presentencing Report. Id.; Def.-Aplt. Excerpt of Rec., Ex. 1,
at 10. Additionally, Appellate Counsel states that he “furnished Appellant with
copies of the record.” Aplt. Opening Br. at 12.
While we are mindful of our obligation to construe pro se claims liberally,
we are not free to assume the role of advocate for the pro se litigant. Barnett v.
Hargett, 174 F.3d 1128, 1133 (10th Cir. 1999). To the extent that Appellant is
claiming ineffective assistance of counsel, we hold that these claims are invalid.
To prevail on an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, a Petitioner
must demonstrate both deficient performance and prejudice. See
Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S. Ct. 2052, 80 L.
Ed.2d 674 (1984). A showing of deficient performance requires that
counsel made such serious errors that he was not functioning as the
“counsel” guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment; prejudice requires
that these errors deprive the Petitioner of a fair trial with a reliable
result. See id. In the context of omitting an issue on appeal, this
means failing to raise an issue obvious from the trial record and one
that probably would have resulted in reversal.
Id. at 1135. Our review of the record does not reveal that either Appellant’s trial
or appellate counsel “made such serious errors” as to deprive Appellant from his
Sixth Amendment right to counsel. Additionally, we could not find “an issue
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obvious from the trial record . . . that probably would have resulted in reversal”
such that Appellate Counsel was ineffective.
Counsel’s Motion to Withdraw is GRANTED. Appellant’s Motion
Objecting to Deputy Clerk’s Letter (renewing his Motion to Compel Counsel for
Copies) is DENIED. Appellant’s request for appointment of counsel is DENIED.
The conviction and sentence are AFFIRMED.
Entered for the Court
Monroe G. McKay
Circuit Judge
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