United States v. Hayden ( 2001 )

F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
MAR 21 2001
TENTH CIRCUIT
__________________________ PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v. No. 00-3343
(D. Kan.)
MICHAEL E. HAYDEN, (D.Ct. No. 94-CR-10064-JTM)
Defendant-Appellant.
____________________________
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before SEYMOUR, McKAY, and BRORBY, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
Appellant Michael Edward Hayden, a federal inmate appearing pro se,
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent except under the doctrines of
law of the case, res judicata and collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the
citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under
the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
appeals the district court’s decision denying his motion to correct sentencing
errors pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 36. We affirm the district
court’s denial of Mr. Hayden’s motion.
In 1994, Mr. Hayden received a conviction for conspiracy to distribute
cocaine base and unlawful possession with intent to distribute approximately 27
grams of cocaine base. The district court sentenced him to a concurrent term of
170 months in prison. In February 1997, this court affirmed Mr. Hayden’s
conviction and sentence on direct appeal. See United States v. Hayden, 108 F.3d
341, 1997 WL 82475, **1-6 (10th Cir. Feb. 27, 1997) (unpublished op.).
On May 15, 2000, Mr. Hayden filed a “Motion to Correct For Clerical
Errors Pursuant to Rule 36 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.” In his
motion, Mr. Hayden alleged the district court committed clerical errors by 1)
using a prior offense – i.e., providing false information to a police officer–to
calculate his criminal history; and 2) failing to afford him the right to “allocution”
at sentencing. The district court denied Mr. Hayden’s motion finding his
argument did not involve any “clerical” error, as required by Fed. R. Crim. P. 36.
Instead, the district court concluded Mr. Hayden was merely “attempting to raise
these issues via Rule 36, which permits correction of clerical errors ‘at any time,’
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in order to avoid the clear prohibition on raising new substantive arguments more
than one year after his conviction became final.” As to Mr. Hayden’s criminal
history argument, the district court noted the underlying offense of providing
false information (i.e., “obstruction of process”) was included in the
presentencing report’s criminal history calculation. While Mr. Hayden objected
to inclusion of this offense, the district court pointed out it nevertheless adopted
the presentencing report and that no clerical error occurred. In addition, the
district court pointed out the alleged error in not permitting “allocution” at
sentencing is not a “clerical” error within the meaning of Rule 36, nor subject to
collateral attack.
On appeal, Mr. Hayden renews his criminal history and “allocution” claims,
asserting the district court made either “clerical” errors or admitted to making
“intentional” errors on these claims. For instance, by adopting the presentence
report, Mr. Hayden claims the district court admitted to intentionally adopting “an
illegal sentence imposed in an illegal manner.” In addition, Mr. Hayden reasons
that the district court believed “clerical” errors existed because it ordered the
government to respond to his motion. Finally, Mr. Hayden raises an issue of
“breach of ... [an] (implied) quasi-judicial contract” by the district court because
it failed to properly “adjudicate” his sentence or adjudicated his sentence in bad
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faith. 1
In response to Mr. Hayden’s appeal, the government asserts Mr. Hayden is
procedurally barred from challenging either the calculation of his criminal history
or the district court’s failure to allow him “allocution” at sentencing. In support,
the government argues Mr. Hayden’s Rule 36 motion should be construed as a
habeas corpus motion filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 because it challenges the
validity of his sentence. Because Mr. Hayden did not raise the issues presented in
his motion on direct appeal, the government contends he is barred from raising
them in a § 2255 motion, unless he can show cause for his procedural default and
actual prejudice, or that a fundamental miscarriage of justice will occur.
For the first time on appeal, Mr. Hayden also raises an Apprendi argument in his
1
reply brief to the government’s brief on appeal. Mr. Hayden claims the jury convicted
him under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A) without receiving the proper jury instruction on
quantity. In addition, Mr. Hayden raises an Apprendi argument with regard to the firearm
enhancement applied to his drug trafficking conviction. See Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530
U.S. 466 (2000).
First, the United States Supreme Court has not ruled on whether Apprendi applies
retroactively on collateral review under § 2255. See Talbott v. Indiana, 226 F.3d 866,
869 (7th Cir. 2000); In re Joshua, 224 F.3d 1281, 1283 (11th Cir. 2000). Second, even
assuming Apprendi applies retroactively on collateral attack, Mr. Hayden’s 170-month
(i.e., fourteen-year sentence) does not exceed the twenty-year maximum sentence for an
undetermined drug quantity under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C). Therefore, even if we
addressed the merits and applied a plain-error analysis, we would conclude Mr. Hayden’s
substantial rights were not affected. See United States v. Heckard, 238 F.3d 1222, 1235
(10th Cir. 2001).
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Moreover, the government asserts that once Mr. Hayden’s motion is construed as
a § 2255 motion, it is untimely as it was filed three years after his conviction and
sentence became final.
Regardless of whether Mr. Hayden’s motion is construed under Rule 36 or
§ 2255, it fails under either standard of review. We review the district court’s
legal basis for denial of a § 2255 motion de novo, see United States v. Kennedy,
225 F.3d 1187, 1193 (10th Cir. 2000), and denial of a Rule 36 motion for abuse of
discretion. See United States v. Niemiec, 689 F.2d 688, 692 (7th Cir. 1982).
As the government asserts, a motion filed under § 2255 is the method used
to collaterally attack the validity of a conviction and sentence. See McIntosh v.
United States Parole Comm’n, 115 F.3d 809, 811 (10th Cir. 1997). Because Mr.
Hayden’s motion appears to challenge the validity of his sentence, it should be
construed as a § 2255 motion. See 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (allowing prisoner in
custody to move court “to vacate, set aside or correct the sentence”). However, as
the district court recognized, a § 2255 motion must be brought within one year
after the sentence is final. See 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Because Mr. Hayden did not
file his motion until three years after his sentence became final, it is untimely as a
§ 2255 motion. Moreover, Mr. Hayden has not alleged nor asserted any
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exceptional circumstances warranting equitable tolling of the one-year limitation
period. See Gibson v. Klinger, 232 F.3d 799, 808 (10th Cir. 2000). Thus, even if
we construe Mr. Hayden’s motion as filed under § 2255, it must fail. 2
Alternatively, we note the district court denied Mr. Hayden’s motion as one
filed under Rule 36, aptly noting Mr. Hayden most likely filed it as such in an
attempt to avoid the one-year limitation under § 2255. On appeal, Mr. Hayden
insists his motion is not a collateral attack under § 2255, and therefore, should be
considered under Rule 36. However, even if we consider Mr. Hayden’s motion as
a Rule 36 motion to correct “clerical” errors, it also must fail.
Under Rule 36, the district court may, at any time, correct “[c]lerical
mistakes in judgments, orders or other part of the record and errors in the record
arising from oversight or omission.” Fed. R. Crim. Proc., Rule 36. In this case,
the district court correctly pointed out that none of the alleged errors asserted by
Mr. Hayden are the type considered “clerical” under Rule 36 because they involve
2
Even if we construe the motion as filed under § 2255, Mr. Hayden has not
requested, nor will we grant, a certificate of appealability required for § 2255 motions as
Mr. Hayden fails to make a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional rights
required under 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2) and Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484-85
(2000).
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claims of substantive error concerning his sentence. On appeal, Mr. Hayden
simply sets forth his own convoluted and confused interpretation of the district
court’s decision. Contrary to Mr. Hayden’s allegations, the district court never
explicitly or implicitly admitted it made intentional, substantive errors.
Moreover, merely because the district court stated it adopted the presentence
report does not mean it implicitly admitted intentionally adopting an illegal
sentence. The district court simply explained that even though Mr. Hayden
objected to the presentence report’s inclusion of his false information offense
(i.e., “obstruction of process”) in calculating his criminal history, the court
nevertheless adopted the presentence report and no clerical error occurred. Thus,
because Mr. Hayden failed to renew his objection on direct appeal, a procedural
bar exists for collaterally raising the issue in his motion. See United States v.
Allen, 16 F.3d 377, 378 (10th Cir. 1994).
In addition, it is ludicrous for Mr. Hayden to assume that because the
district court ordered the government to respond to his motion, the court believed
his motion was valid. Finally, Mr. Hayden cites no authority for his absurd
proposition that a judge may be subject to reversal for breach of an “implied,
quasi-judicial contract” in sentencing. We will not consider an appellate
argument absent cogent legal authority supporting it. See United States v.
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Kunzman, 54 F.3d 1522, 1534 (10th Cir. 1995).
For these reasons, we AFFIRM the district court’s denial of Mr. Hayden’s
motion.
Entered by the Court:
WADE BRORBY
United States Circuit Judge
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