United States v. Norris

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED April 16, 2008 No. 07-10826 Conference Calendar Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff-Appellee v. SAMUEL NORRIS Defendant-Appellant Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 5:07-CR-13-ALL Before PRADO, OWEN, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* The attorney appointed to represent Samuel Norris has moved for leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). Norris has filed a response. The record is insufficiently developed to allow consideration at this time of Norris’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel; such a claim generally “cannot be resolved on direct appeal when [it has] not been raised before the district court since no opportunity * 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.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. No. 07-10826 existed to develop the record on the merits of the allegations.” See United States v. Cantwell, 470 F.3d 1087, 1091 (5th Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Our independent review of the record, counsel’s brief, and Norris’s response discloses no nonfrivolous issue for appeal. Accordingly, Norris’s pro se motion for the appointment of counsel is DENIED, counsel’s motion for leave to withdraw is GRANTED, counsel is excused from further responsibilities herein, and the APPEAL IS DISMISSED. See 5TH CIR. R. 42.2. 2