United States v. Ryan

FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
March 20, 2013
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
TENTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
No. 12-2143
(D. New Mexico)
v.
(D.C. Nos. 1:12-CV-00654-JAP-ACT
and 1:08-CR-00797-ACT-1)
DANIEL J. RYAN, IV,
Defendant - Appellant.
ORDER DENYING CERTIFICATE
OF APPEALABILITY
Before HARTZ, EBEL, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
Petitioner, Daniel J. Ryan, IV, seeks a certificate of appealability (“COA”)
so he can appeal the district court’s dismissal of the motion to vacate, set aside,
or correct sentence he brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. See 28 U.S.C.
§ 2253(c)(1)(B) (providing a movant may not appeal the disposition of a § 2255
motion unless he first obtains a COA). In 2008, Ryan pleaded guilty to three
counts of distribution of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C.
§ 2252(a)(2). He was sentenced to a 120-month term of incarceration on April 5,
2010. The written plea agreement contained a waiver of Ryan’s right to directly
appeal his conviction or sentence.
The instant § 2255 motion was filed in the district court on June 15, 2012,
and was referred to a magistrate judge for initial proceedings pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B). The magistrate raised the timeliness of Ryan’s motion sua
sponte and ordered Ryan to show cause why it should not be dismissed because it
was filed outside the one-year limitations period. See 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)
(setting forth a one-year statute of limitations for § 2255 motions); see also Day
v. McDonough, 547 U.S. 198, 209 (2006) (holding federal district courts “are
permitted, but not obliged, to consider, sua sponte, the timeliness of a state
prisoner’s habeas petition”); United States v. DeClerk, 252 F. App’x 220, 224
(10th Cir. 2007) (applying Day to a federal prisoner’s § 2255 motion). Ryan filed
a timely response to the magistrate judge’s order, arguing he was entitled to
equitable tolling of the limitations period.
In its order of dismissal, the district court concluded Ryan’s § 2255 motion
was not filed within the one-year limitations period. The court further concluded
Ryan was not entitled to equitable tolling because he failed to diligently pursue
his claims and did not demonstrate that his failure to file a timely § 2255 motion
was caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond his control. Accordingly, the
court dismissed Ryan’s § 2255 motion as untimely.
To be entitled to a COA, Ryan must show “that jurists of reason would find
it debatable whether the district court was correct in its procedural ruling.” Slack
v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 474, 484-85 (2000) (holding that when a district court
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dismisses a habeas petition on procedural grounds, a petitioner is entitled to a
COA only if he shows both that reasonable jurists would find it debatable whether
he had stated a valid constitutional claim and debatable whether the district
court’s procedural ruling was correct). Our review of the record demonstrates
that the district court’s dismissal of Ryan’s § 2255 motion as untimely is not
deserving of further proceedings or subject to a different resolution on appeal.
Accordingly, we deny Ryan’s request for a COA and dismiss this appeal.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
Michael R. Murphy
Circuit Judge
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