United States v. Shabazz

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED April 30, 2009 No. 08-40756 Conference Calendar Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff-Appellee v. RAMADAN TAJEDEEN SHABAZZ Defendant-Appellant Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas USDC No. 6:07-CR-87-1 Before JONES, Chief Judge, and JOLLY and ELROD, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* The Federal Public Defender appointed to represent Ramadan Tajedeen Shabazz has moved for leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). Shabazz has filed a response. The record is insufficiently developed to allow consideration at this time of Shabazz’s claim 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 * 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR .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. 08-40756 the allegations.” 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 Shabazz’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. 2