United States v. Gerardo Guzman-Armendariz

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED December 15, 2009 No. 09-10490 Conference Calendar Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee v. GERARDO GUZMAN-ARMENDARIZ, Defendant-Appellant Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas USDC No. 5:08-CR-83-1 Before KING, JOLLY, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* The Federal Public Defender appointed to represent Gerardo Guzman- Armendariz has moved for leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). Guzman-Armendariz has filed a response. The record is insufficiently developed to allow consideration at this time of Guzman-Armendariz’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 * 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR .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. 09-10490 on the merits of 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 Guzman-Armendariz’s response discloses no nonfrivolous issue for appeal. Accordingly, counsel’s 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