Case: 16-31244 Document: 00514171035 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/26/2017
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
No. 16-31244 FILED
September 26, 2017
Lyle W. Cayce
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Clerk
Plaintiff-Appellee
v.
GARY JEFFERSON BYRD,
Defendant-Appellant
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Louisiana
USDC No. 6:16-CV-1372
USDC No. 6:92-CR-60025-1
Before DAVIS, CLEMENT, and OWEN, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM: *
In 1992 Gary Jefferson Byrd, federal prisoner # 07983-035, was
convicted of receiving child pornography through the mail and sentenced to
serve 10 years in prison. The district court concluded that the most recent
action he filed to challenge this conviction was an unauthorized successive 28
U.S.C. § 2255 motion and dismissed it on this basis. Byrd now moves this court
for a certificate of appealability (COA), arguing that this action is a writ of
* 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH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.
Case: 16-31244 Document: 00514171035 Page: 2 Date Filed: 09/26/2017
No. 16-31244
coram nobis and that he is entitled to relief on his claims concerning his
innocence.
Because Byrd is no longer in custody for the 1992 conviction, he cannot
challenge it via a § 2255 motion. See Pack v. Yusuff, 218 F.3d 448, 454 n.5 (5th
Cir. 2000). He can, however, bring a writ of coram nobis to challenge this
conviction. See United States v. Dyer, 136 F.3d 417, 422 (5th Cir. 1998).
Because this action is best classed as sounding in coram nobis, not § 2255,
Byrd’s COA motion is DENIED AS UNNECESSARY.
The writ of coram nobis may be used to correct only fundamental errors
that result in a complete miscarriage of justice. Dyer, 136 F.3d at 430. Because
Byrd’s claims could have been presented sooner, he has not met this standard.
See id.
AFFIRMED.
2