Eleventh Circuit Reverses for Failure to Hold Evidentiary Hearing on 2255

McCalla pled guilty to conspiracy to possess at least five kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute. The Mandatory minimum, in that case, was ten years. His range of punishment was 136 to 168 months. He was sentenced to 126 moths and the court found that a sentence below the advisory guideline range would be sufficient but not greater thank necessary to comply with the requirements of section 3553. McCalla was informed that he had the right to appeal. He did not file a direct appeal. In his 2255 motion he alleged that he would have appealed his sentence if counsel had consulted him and that counsel knew that McCalla was unhappy with the indictment and sentence. McCalla also stated that he “expressed his desire to challenge [this] unbelievable result” and requested an evidentiary hearing.

The magistrate replied that he McCalla’s motion should be denied, that McCalla did not ask counsel to file an appeal, that counsel did not have a duty to consult McCalla and that “no rational defendant would have wonted to appeal.” The magistrate ruled that McCalla was not entitled to an evidentiary hearing because his claim was meritless. The District court adopted the recommendation of the Magistrate’s court and denied the certificate of appealability.

On appeal the court started by stating that both a direct appeal and effective assistance of counsel are rights. Further, the accused has the authority to make certain decisions regarding the case such as whether to take the appeal. Counsel is to advise the defendant about the advantages and disadvantages of taking an appeal and make a reasonable effort to discover the defendant’s wishes. When a defendant has not instructed counsel to file a notice of appeal there is a constitutional duty to consult when a defendant reasonably demonstrated to counsel that he was interested in appealing. When counsel’s performance deprives a defendant of an appeal that he would have otherwise taken then that is prejudice even if the appeal would not have won.

McCalla’s statement that he wanted to challenge his sentence showed that he was interested in appealing. Counsel was to advise McCalla about the advantages of taking an appeal. Counsel did not. If counsel had done their duty then McCalla would have asked his attorney to appeal the sentence. This showed that McCalla had alleged facts, that, if true, established a successful ineffective assistance of counsel claim entitling him to an appeal Neither the fact that he not have been successful nor the fact that the sentencing judge notified Thompson that he had a right to appeal changes the conclusion of the court. This means that the district court abused their discretion when they denied his evidentiary hearing on this.

The Eleventh circuit reversed with orders to schedule an evidentiary hearing.

McCalla v. United States. No. 16-15623, 2018 WL 1747722

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