United States v. Starsky Redd ( 2019 )


Menu:
  •      Case: 18-60492      Document: 00515208604         Page: 1    Date Filed: 11/21/2019
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
    United States Court of Appeals
    Fifth Circuit
    FILED
    No. 18-60492                        November 21, 2019
    Summary Calendar
    Lyle W. Cayce
    Clerk
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff-Appellee
    v.
    STARSKY DARNELL REDD, also known as Sealed Defendant #1,
    Defendant-Appellant
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Southern District of Mississippi
    USDC No. 3:10-CV-560
    Before HAYNES, HIGGINSON, and ENGELHARDT, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM: *
    Starsky Darnell Redd, federal prisoner # 05967-043, filed a 28 U.S.C.
    § 2255 motion in 2010 alleging, inter alia, that his trial counsel had failed to
    adequately inform him of the consequences of proceeding to trial versus
    pleading guilty. Based in part on trial counsel’s affidavit, the district court
    found that Redd had been so informed and denied the § 2255 motion. In 2017,
    Redd filed the instant motion pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
    * 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
    be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH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.
    Case: 18-60492     Document: 00515208604      Page: 2    Date Filed: 11/21/2019
    No. 18-60492
    60(d)(3) alleging that trial counsel perpetrated a fraud upon the court by lying
    in his affidavit about the advice he gave Redd. The district court denied the
    motion, and Redd timely appealed.
    Because Redd’s motion urged a procedural defect in his § 2255
    proceedings, it was properly brought under Rule 60, and a certificate of
    appealability (COA) is required to appeal the district court’s denial of the
    motion. See Buck v. Thaler, 452 F. App’x 423, 429 (5th Cir. 2011); see also
    United States v. Vialva, 
    904 F.3d 356
    , 360 (5th Cir. 2018), petition for cert. filed
    (U.S. Dec. 7, 2018) (No. 18-6992) and (U.S. Mar. 19, 2019) (No. 18-1222); Ochoa
    Canales v. Quarterman, 
    507 F.3d 884
    , 887-88 (5th Cir. 2007). Redd’s timely
    notice of appeal is construed as a COA request. See United States v. Kimler,
    
    150 F.3d 429
    , 430 (5th Cir. 1998); FED. R. APP. P. 22(b).
    Redd argues that the district court erred in denying his Rule 60(d)(3)
    motion because it was supported by an affidavit from Redd’s former cellmate
    and because Redd had been unable to contact his former cellmate to obtain an
    affidavit showing that trial counsel lied in his own affidavit any sooner. He
    has not shown that reasonable jurists would find the district court’s disposition
    of his Rule 60(d)(3) motion to be debatable or incorrect. See Slack v. McDaniel,
    
    529 U.S. 473
    , 483-84 (2000). Accordingly, no COA will issue.
    A COA is not necessary for us to review Redd’s argument that the district
    court judge should have recused himself sua sponte based on bias because
    Redd’s uncle had “brought charges” against the judge. See Trevino v. Johnson,
    
    168 F.3d 173
    , 176-78 (5th Cir. 1999). However, because the argument is
    untimely and because Redd has not shown good cause for its untimeliness, we
    decline to consider it. See Clay v. Allen, 
    242 F.3d 679
    , 681 (5th Cir. 2001);
    United States v. Sanford, 
    157 F.3d 987
    , 988-89 (5th Cir. 1998).
    AFFIRMED; COA MOTION DENIED.
    2