Castellano v. United States
Castellano v. United States
Opinion of the Court
DECISION AND ORDER
By Order dated June 24, 2011, this Court denied the petition for a writ of habeas corpus of defendant Alberto Castellano (“Castellano”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (“§ 2255”) to vacate, set aside, or otherwise correct his sentence. See Castellano v. United States, 795 F.Supp.2d 272 (S.D.N.Y. 2011). Castellano claimed ineffective assistance of counsel based on his counsel’s failure to raise certain motions, investigate certain witnesses, and object to potential juror bias. See id. at 276.
On February 5, 2013, Castellano filed a memorandum of law (see No. 10 Civ. 4000, Dkt. No. 32) in support of his motion to vacate his sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3) in which he argues that the United States Supreme Court cases Missouri v. Frye, — U.S.-, 132 S.Ct. 1399, 182 L.Ed.2d 379 (2012), and Lafler v. Cooper, — U.S.-, 132 S.Ct. 1376, 182 L.Ed.2d 398 (2012), present new constitutional rules of law that would allow him to successfully submit a “second or successive” habeas petition. See 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3).
As a general rule, this Court does not have jurisdiction to address a petition if it is a “second or successive motion” without authorization from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and is required to transfer a sec
(A) the applicant shows that the claim relies on a new rule of constitutional law, made retroactive to cases on collateral review by the Supreme Court, that was previously unavailable; or
(B)(i) the factual predicate for the claim could not have been discovered previously through the exercise of due diligence; and
(ii) the facts underlying the claim, if proven and viewed in light of the evidence as a whole, would be sufficient to establish by clear and convincing evidence that, but for constitutional error, no reasonable factfinder would have found the applicant guilty of the underlying offense.
28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(2). Since Castellano’s current petition fails to meet either exception laid out by § 2244(b)(2), his petition is denied.
To begin, Castellano’s first argument, based on Frye and Cooper, fails because neither case establishes a new rule of constitutional law, and neither case applies retroactively. The Second Circuit has held that Lafler and Frye are only applications of Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), and therefore do not establish “a new rule of constitutional law,” and that neither is “retroactive to cases on collateral review by the Supreme Court.” Gallagher v. United States, 711 F.3d 315, 315-16 (2d Cir. 2013) (dismissing a § 2255 claim that relied on Lafler and Frye as untimely). This analysis controls here.
Castellano’s subsequent argument that Alleyne and Peugh establish new rules of constitutional law and apply retroactively likewise fails. In Alleyne, the Supreme Court overruled Harris v. United States, 536 U.S. 545, 122 S.Ct. 2406, 153 L.Ed.2d 524 (2002), and held that a factual predicate that leads to an increase in the mandatory minimum sentence for a crime is an “element” which must be submitted to and decided by a jury. 133 S.Ct. at 2152. In Peugh, the Supreme Court held that that the “Ex Post Facto Clause is violated when a defendant is sentenced under current [sentencing] guidelines providing [a] higher sentencing range than Guidelines in effect at the time of the offense.” 133 S.Ct. at 2078. The Court relied on precedent establishing that the Government is forbidden from “altering the substantive ‘formula’ used to calculate the applicable sentencing range,” California Dep’t of Corr. v. Morales, 514 U.S. 499, 505, 115 S.Ct. 1597, 131 L.Ed.2d 588 (1995), so that there would be a “significant risk of increasing the [defendant’s] punishment.” Garner v. Jones, 529 U.S. 244, 255, 120 S.Ct. 1362, 146 L.Ed.2d 236 (2000).
The Court need not decide whether Alleyne or Peugh establish a new rule of constitutional law because, even if they do, there is no indication that the Supreme Court intended for either holding to apply retroactively to this type of collateral review. In the context of a second or successive habeas petition, “a rule is not ‘made retroactive to cases on collateral review’ unless the Supreme Court holds it to be retroactive,” and such a decision
Finally, none of Castellano’s arguments satisfy the second prong of 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(2), which requires that “the factual predicate for the claim could not have been discovered previously through the exercise of due diligence,” and that the facts underlying the claim “would be sufficient to establish by clear and convincing evidence that, but for constitutional error, no reasonable factfinder would have found the applicant guilty of the underlying offense.” Indeed, the plain language of this standard renders it inapplicable to Castellano’s argument that his attorney inadequately advised him with regards to a plea agreement. Since Castellano’s second or subsequent habeas petition does not survive dismissal under § 2244, the Court declines to transfer it to the Second Circuit and instead dismisses it in the interest of judicial economy.
ORDER
For the reasons stated above, it is hereby
ORDERED that the motion (No. 10 Civ. 4000, Dkt. No. 32) of Petitioner Alberto Castellano for relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to vacate, set aside, or otherwise correct his sentence is DENIED.
SO ORDERED.
. Castellano’s current petition is a "second or successive” motion for habeas relief because it attacks his underlying conviction, which was affirmed by the Second Circuit on April 1, 2009, 321 Fed.Appx. 37 (2d Cir. 2009), and not the merits of the Court's decision to deny his previous habeas petition. See Harris v. United States, 367 F.3d 74, 82 (2d Cir. 2004).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alberto CASTELLANO v. United States
- Status
- Published