United States v. Lynn E. Scott, 7 F.3d 1046, 10th Cir. (1993)

7 F.
3d 1046
NOTICE: Although citation of unpublished opinions remains unfavored,
unpublished opinions may now be cited if the opinion has persuasive value on a
material issue, and a copy is attached to the citing document or, if cited in oral
argument, copies are furnished to the Court and all parties. See General Order of
November 29, 1993, suspending 10th Cir. Rule 36.3 until December 31, 1995, or
further order.
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant.

v.
Lynn E. SCOTT, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 93-1173.
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.

Oct. 5, 1993.
Before TACHA, BALDOCK, and KELLY, Circuit Judges.2
ORDER AND JUDGMENT1

1
Defendant appeals the district court's denial of his motion for reconsideration of
his motion to vacate, set aside, or correct sentence, 28 U.S.C. 2255. We have
jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. 1291, and we affirm.
In February 1992, Defendant was convicted of one count of misapplication of

bank funds in excess of $100.00, 18 U.S.C. 656, and was sentenced to thirteen
months imprisonment to be followed by three years supervised release. The
original indictment alleged that Defendant made two illegal transfers in the
amounts of $100.00 and $243,138.00. The government subsequently filed a
Notice of Election, electing to proceed on the basis of the $243,138.00 transfer
alone. Defendant did not appeal his conviction. In July 1992, Defendant filed a
motion under 28 U.S.C. 2255 which the district court denied. Defendant then
filed a motion for reconsideration, or in the alternative, a notice of appeal. Upon
notification from this court of a possible jurisdictional defect, Defendant
voluntarily withdrew his appeal, and his motion for reconsideration remained
before the district court.
In December 1992, Defendant failed to appear for a required supervised release

hearing, and the district court issued a summons for his arrest. Defendant was
subsequently convicted of violating the conditions of his supervised release and
sentenced to eight months imprisonment.
In April 1993, Defendant filed a motion to amend his motion for

reconsideration. The district court granted the motion to amend and then denied
the motion for reconsideration as amended.
In his original 28 U.S.C. 2255 motion, Defendant raised the following four
grounds for relief: (1) his conviction was invalid because the indictment was
unconstitutionally broadened by amendment, (2) his conviction was invalid
because the government failed to prove one of the elements of the charged
offense, (3) he was denied effective assistance of counsel because defense
counsel failed to ask a question, suggested by Defendant, of a government
witness, and (4) he was denied effective assistance of counsel because counsel
failed to object to the unconstitutional amendment of the indictment. The
district court dismissed Defendant's motion, concluding that the indictment was
not unconstitutionally amended and that the government had proven all
elements of the offense. The court also stated that these two grounds for relief
should have been raised on direct appeal. As to the ineffective assistance of
counsel claims, the court concluded that they were "not supported by adequate
factual allegations."
In Defendant's amended motion for reconsideration, Defendant raised four

additional ineffective assistance of counsel claims. Without any factual support,
Defendant claimed that he received ineffective assistance of counsel on the
following bases: (1) ineffective pretrial preparation, (2) failure to object to the
admission of prejudicial evidence, (3) failure to move for acquittal on the basis
of insufficiency of the evidence, and (4) inappropriate closing argument. The
district court denied the amended motion for reconsideration for the same
reasons as those stated in the dismissal of Defendant's original 2255 motion.
On appeal, Defendant raises nine issues, four of which he raises for the first
time on appeal. We only address those issues that were presented to the district
court.3 See United States v. Cook, 997 F.2d 1312, 1316 (10th Cir.1993)
(grounds for relief not raised in 2255 motion to district court waived on appeal).
Defendant's preserved issues include the following claims of ineffective
assistance of counsel: (1) failure to object to the unconstitutional amendment of
the indictment, (2) ineffective pretrial preparation, (3) failure to move for
acquittal on the basis of insufficiency of the evidence, and (4) inappropriate
closing argument. Defendant also claims that the district court erred in denying
his 2255 motion without holding an evidentiary hearing.
8
To prevail on an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, a Defendant must

show that counsel's performance was constitutionally inadequate and that
counsel's inadequacy prejudiced the defense. Strickland v. Washington, 466
U.S. 668, 687 (1984). There is a strong presumption that the challenged actions
of counsel reflect professionally reasonable strategic decisions. Id. at 689.
We reject Defendant's claim that he was denied effective assistance of counsel.

First, we agree with the district court that counsel was not deficient for failing
to object to the alleged broadening of the indictment. By granting the
government's Notice of Election to proceed to trial only on the $243,138, the
district court narrowed the scope of the indictment rather than broadening it.
Because the narrowing of an indictment does not constitute an impermissible
amendment, United States v. Miller, 471 U.S. 130, 145 (1985), defense
counsel's failure to object to the election was appropriate.
10
We likewise reject Defendant's remaining claims of ineffective assistance of

counsel because Defendant failed to present the district court with any evidence
to support these claims.4 Although we construe a pro se litigant's pleadings
liberally, he is not relieved of the burden of alleging sufficient facts on which a
recognized legal claim could be based. Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1110
(10th Cir.1991). Because Defendant's remaining claims of ineffective
assistance consist of merely conclusory allegations, the district court properly
dismissed them. See id.
11
Defendant's final claim is that the district court erred in failing to hold an
evidentiary hearing on his 2255 motion. We disagree. The district court is not
required to hold an evidentiary hearing when a 2255 claim of ineffective
assistance is based merely on conclusory allegations unsupported by specific
facts. Eskridge v. United States, 443 F.2d 440, 443 (10th Cir.1971). Because
Defendant's allegations here are nothing more than conclusory, the district
court did not err in failing to conduct an evidentiary hearing.
12
Defendant's motion for appointment of counsel to perfect appeal and for release
pending appeal is DENIED. Because Defendant timely filed his opening brief,
his motion for additional time to file an opening brief is DENIED as moot. The
district court's dismissal of Defendant's amended motion for reconsideration of
his motion under 28 U.S.C. 2255 is AFFIRMED.
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); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case therefore
is ordered submitted without oral argument
This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not be cited, or
used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except for purposes of establishing
the doctrines of the law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir.
R. 36.3
Defendant raises the following claims for the first time on appeal which are
therefore waived: (1) ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to introduce
expert witness testimony in support of the defense, (2) ineffective assistance of
counsel for failure to advocate Defendant's innocence, leading to the
government's failure to prove certain elements of charged offense, (3) failure of
the trial court to give the jury a limiting instruction, and (4) trial court error in
using the word "transfers" instead of "transfer" while reading the indictment to
the jury
Defendant has attempted, in his brief to this court, to present some facts in
support of his allegations. However, because these factual allegations were not
part of the record before the district court, we will not consider them. See
Hunter v. Morton, 529 F.2d 645, 649 (10th Cir.1976) (affidavits not filed with
district court cannot be considered on appeal)

United States v. Lynn E. Scott, 7 F.3d 1046, 10th Cir. (1993)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

United States v. Lynn E. Scott, 7 F.3d 1046, 10th Cir. (1993)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

United States v. Lynn E. Scott, 7 F.3d 1046, 10th Cir. (1993)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

7 F.

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant.

United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.

Before TACHA, BALDOCK, and KELLY, Circuit Judges.2

ORDER AND JUDGMENT1

In February 1992, Defendant was convicted of one count of misapplication of

In December 1992, Defendant failed to appear for a required supervised release

In April 1993, Defendant filed a motion to amend his motion for

In Defendant's amended motion for reconsideration, Defendant raised four

To prevail on an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, a Defendant must

We reject Defendant's claim that he was denied effective assistance of counsel.

We likewise reject Defendant's remaining claims of ineffective assistance of

You might also like