United States v. Turner

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED April 30, 2009 No. 07-40693 Conference Calendar Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff-Appellee v. MORRIS DWAYNE TURNER Defendant-Appellant Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas USDC No. 4:05-CR-233-1 Before JONES, Chief Judge, and JOLLY and ELROD, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* The attorney appointed to represent Morris Dwayne Turner has moved for leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). Turner has filed a response. The record is insufficiently developed to allow consideration at this time of Turner’s claims of ineffective assistance of counsel; such claims generally “cannot be resolved on direct appeal when [they have] not been raised before the district court since no opportunity existed to develop the record on the merits of the allegations.” United States v. * 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR .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. 07-40693 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 Turner’s response discloses no nonfrivolous issue for appeal. Accordingly, the motion for leave to withdraw is GRANTED, counsel is excused from further responsibilities herein, and the APPEAL IS DISMISSED. See 5 TH C IR. R. 42.2. Turner’s motion to remove counsel and proceed pro se is DENIED. 2