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James Bradley Parks v. United States, 832 F.2d 1244, 11th Cir. (1987)
James Bradley Parks v. United States, 832 F.2d 1244, 11th Cir. (1987)
2d 1244
In this case appellant-petitioner, James Bradley Parks, appeals from the district
court's denial of a motion to vacate sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section
2255. Because petitioner Parks does not meet the cause and prejudice standard
applicable to issues raised in a section 2255 proceeding which were not raised
on direct appeal, we affirm the district court's denial of his motion.
In his section 2255 motion, petitioner raises issues regarding sentencing which
were not asserted on direct review.1 This obliges the court to determine whether
the petitioner may raise these issues upon even a showing of "plain error" on
the part of the lower court or whether petitioner must show cause and prejudice
in order to raise these issues in a collateral attack on his sentence.
In United States v. Frady, 456 U.S. 152, 102 S.Ct. 1584, 71 L.Ed.2d 816
(1982), the Supreme Court held that, to obtain collateral relief based on trial
errors to which no objection was made at time of trial, a convicted defendant
must show both cause excusing his failure to raise the issues at a proper earlier
review stage and actual prejudice resulting from the errors. This showing, more
stringent than the "plain error" standard, is necessary and proper to further
"society's legitimate interest in the finality of the judgment ... perfected by the
expiration of the time allowed for direct review or by the affirmance of the
conviction on appeal." Frady, 456 U.S. at 164, 102 S.Ct. at 1592. This court has
applied the "cause and prejudice" standard in several situations per Frady and
Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 97 S.Ct. 2497, 53 L.Ed.2d 594 (1977). See
Lilly v. United States, 792 F.2d 1541 (11th Cir.1986) (to raise Rule 11
violation on collateral attack, petitioner had to show cause and prejudice for
failure to raise on direct appeal); Sanchez v. United States, 782 F.2d 928, 935 n.
3 (11th Cir.1986) (to raise issue of non-unanimous jury verdict in a section
2255 proceeding, petitioner must normally show cause and prejudice for his
procedural default); Amadeo v. Kemp, 816 F.2d 1502 (11th Cir.1987) (state
prisoner had to establish cause and prejudice in order to raise challenge to jury
list in federal habeas petition when he had not objected at trial as required under
Georgia law), cert. granted, --- U.S. ----, 108 S.Ct. 257, 98 L.Ed.2d 214; Morris
v. Kemp, 809 F.2d 1499 (11th Cir.1987) (absent a showing of cause and
prejudice, state prisoner cannot raise ineffectiveness of counsel in federal
habeas petition when he had not raised it in first state habeas petition).
Due process protects a defendant's right not to be sentenced on the basis of false
information and invalid premises. United States v. Tucker, 404 U.S. 443, 92
S.Ct. 589, 30 L.Ed.2d 592 (1972); United States v. Satterfield, 743 F.2d 827,
840 (11th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1117, 105 S.Ct. 2362, 86 L.Ed.2d
262 (1985). Still, no constitutional requirement mandates that consideration of
an accused's claims be afforded the same scope of review on collateral attack as
on direct appeal; and, in fact, societal interests in finality of judgment and
efficiency of judicial process require that the scope be more limited. United
States v. Frady, supra; see also Williams v. United States, 805 F.2d 1301 (7th
Cir.1986) (applying cause and prejudice standard in section 2255 proceedings),
cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 107 S.Ct. 1978, 95 L.Ed.2d 818 (1987).
Assuming, arguendo, that petitioner Parks did make proper objections at his
sentencing and that the sentencing court failed to resolve the disputes as
required by Rule 32(c)(3)(D), it was petitioner's responsibility to raise this
failure as a ground for relief in his appeal of the judgment and sentence. He did
not do so. Because petitioner Parks has made no showing of cause to explain
this failure to raise the issues of which he now complains on direct appeal, his
motion as to violations of Rule 32(c)(3)(D) must fail.
Honorable Walter E. Hoffman, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Eastern
District of Virginia, sitting by designation
Petitioner Parks alleges two grounds for relief. First, petitioner contends that
the sentencing court failed to comply with the mandates of Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(c)
(3)(D) by neglecting to respond to petitioner's challenge of several matters
discussed in the presentence investigation report (PSI). Second, petitioner
asserts that both he and his counsel lacked adequate opportunity to prepare a
reubttal to evidence offered by a witness called by the government at
sentencing
We will note that a convicted and sentenced defendant who wishes to challenge
his sentencing has several options: he may take direct appeal, file a Rule 35
motion to correct or reduce sentence, or file a section 2255 motion to vacate
sentence. These courses of action are not exclusive one of the other; if he acts in
time, a defendant may, for example, file a Rule 35 motion and then file a direct
appeal. Petitioner Parks availed himself of all three procedures, filing a Rule 35
motion, taking direct appeal, and then bringing the present section 2255
petition. In this case we decide only that where a defendant has pursued direct
appeal of his case, he may not raise new claims regarding the sentencing
procedure in a section 2255 habeas action without a showing of cause and
prejudice