United States v. Darlene Sturdevant ( 2022 )


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  •                                                                               FILED
    NOT FOR PUBLICATION
    MAR 11 2022
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                         MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
    U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,                        No. 21-35329
    Plaintiff-Appellee,                D.C. Nos.    3:20-cv-01909-JO
    3:18-cr-00223-JO-1
    v.
    DARLENE MICHELLE STURDEVANT,                     MEMORANDUM*
    Defendant-Appellant.
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,                        No. 21-35330
    Plaintiff-Appellee,                D.C. Nos.    3:20-cv-01910-JO
    3:19-cr-00254-JO-1
    v.
    DARLENE MICHELLE STURDEVANT,
    Defendant-Appellant.
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the District of Oregon
    Robert E. Jones, District Judge, Presiding
    *
    This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
    except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
    Submitted March 9, 2022**
    Portland, Oregon
    Before: GRABER and BEA, Circuit Judges, and REISS,*** District Judge.
    Petitioner Darlene Sturdevant appeals the district court’s denial of her
    petition for habeas corpus brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C.§ 2255. Reviewing the
    district court’s denial de novo, United States v. Chacon-Palomares, 
    208 F.3d 1157
    ,
    1158 (9th Cir. 2000), we affirm.
    1. Petitioner, in her plea agreements, appears to have waived her right to
    attack her sentence collaterally. But even if she has not waived that right, her
    challenge fails. Petitioner’s argument regarding her career offender status is
    foreclosed by binding precedent. United States v. Crum, 
    934 F.3d 963
    , 964, 967
    (9th Cir. 2019) (per curiam), holds that a conviction for delivery of
    methamphetamine under Oregon Revised Statute section 475.890 qualifies as a
    controlled substance offense for sentencing purposes.
    2. Petitioner’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, therefore, fails as
    well. Her lawyer’s failure to raise an argument that was foreclosed by binding case
    **
    The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
    without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
    ***
    The Honorable Christina Reiss, United States District Judge for the
    District of Vermont, sitting by designation.
    2
    law does not satisfy either prong of the test established by Strickland v.
    Washington, 
    466 U.S. 668
    , 687 (1984). See Rupe v. Wood, 
    93 F.3d 1434
    , 1445
    (9th Cir. 1996) (noting that “the failure to take a futile action can never be deficient
    performance”).
    AFFIRMED
    3