United States v. Frank Pate ( 2020 )


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  •      Case: 19-40928      Document: 00515370541         Page: 1    Date Filed: 04/02/2020
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT   United States Court of Appeals
    Fifth Circuit
    FILED
    April 2, 2020
    No. 19-40928
    Lyle W. Cayce
    Clerk
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff-Appellee
    v.
    FRANK EDWIN PATE,
    Defendant-Appellant
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Eastern District of Texas
    USDC No. 4:14-CR-125-1
    Before HAYNES, GRAVES, and ENGELHARDT, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM: *
    Frank Edwin Pate was convicted by jury verdict of two counts of wire
    fraud and one count of mail fraud. In an amended judgment issued in May
    2016, the district court sentenced Pate to a total term of 168 months of
    imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and $2,829,586.84
    restitution. In June 2017, we granted the Government’s motion to dismiss
    Pate’s direct appeal from that judgment.
    * 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 R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
    be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH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: 19-40928   Document: 00515370541     Page: 2   Date Filed: 04/02/2020
    No. 19-40928
    Over three years after entry of that amended judgment, Pate filed a
    second notice of appeal challenging that same judgment. He now moves this
    court for the appointment of counsel.     We may dismiss an appeal when
    considering an interlocutory motion if the appeal “is frivolous and entirely
    without merit.” 5TH CIR. R. 42.2. Pate is not entitled to two appeals, so his
    second appeal from the same conviction is “not properly before this Court.”
    United States v. Arlt, 
    567 F.2d 1295
    , 1296-97 (5th Cir. 1978); accord United
    States v. Rodriguez, 
    821 F.3d 632
    , 633-34 (5th Cir. 2016). A defendant is
    entitled to the appointment of counsel only for his first direct appeal. See
    Pennsylvania v. Finley, 
    481 U.S. 551
    , 555 (1987).
    Pate’s motion for appointment of counsel is DENIED, and the appeal is
    DISMISSED as frivolous. See 5TH CIR. R. 42.2.
    2
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 19-40928

Filed Date: 4/2/2020

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 4/3/2020