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United States v. Tate

Citation: 327 F. App'x 411Docket: No. 07-4665

Court: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; June 25, 2009; Federal Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

In this case, the defendant was convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and sentenced to 110 months of imprisonment. The defense counsel submitted an Anders brief, indicating no meritorious issues for appeal, and the defendant was informed of his right to file a pro se supplemental brief but chose not to do so. The court upheld the conviction, citing evidence including the discovery of a loaded revolver during a search and the defendant's admission of possession. The court found the sentence reasonable, having adhered to the Sentencing Guidelines and considered relevant statutory factors. No plain error was found concerning potential violations under Kimbrough v. United States. The appellate court affirmed the conviction and sentence after finding no appealable issues in its independent review. Counsel must inform the defendant of his right to seek further review by the Supreme Court and may withdraw if a petition is deemed frivolous. The court decided against oral argument, noting the sufficiency of the written submissions.

Legal Issues Addressed

Anders Brief Procedure

Application: Tate’s counsel filed an Anders brief, indicating no meritorious issues for appeal, and the court conducted an independent review of the record without identifying any issues that warranted appeal.

Reasoning: Tate’s attorney filed an Anders brief, indicating no meritorious issues for appeal... The court reviewed the record as per Anders without identifying any issues warranting an appeal, thus affirming the conviction and sentence.

Plain Error Review

Application: The court found no plain error in relation to any potential violation concerning Kimbrough v. United States.

Reasoning: Additionally, any potential violation related to Kimbrough v. United States was not established as plain error by Tate.

Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)

Application: The court upheld the conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon based on evidence that a loaded revolver was found in a clothes basket and the defendant admitted to holding the gun for someone else.

Reasoning: The court found sufficient evidence to uphold the conviction, noting that a loaded revolver was found in a clothes basket during a search warrant execution, and Tate admitted to holding the gun for someone else.

Reasonableness of Sentencing

Application: The court determined the sentence was reasonable, having properly calculated the Sentencing Guidelines range and considered the factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).

Reasoning: The court determined that Tate's sentence was both procedurally and substantively reasonable, having properly calculated the Sentencing Guidelines range, considered the factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), and adequately explained the rationale for the imposed sentence.

Right to Petition the Supreme Court

Application: Counsel must inform the defendant of the right to petition the Supreme Court for further review and may withdraw if the petition is considered frivolous, with proper notification to the defendant.

Reasoning: Counsel is required to notify Tate in writing of his right to petition the Supreme Court for further review. If Tate requests such a petition but counsel believes it to be frivolous, counsel may seek to withdraw from representation, providing evidence of the motion being served to Tate.

Waiver of Oral Arguments

Application: The court decided against holding oral arguments, concluding that the facts and legal issues were sufficiently presented in the written materials.

Reasoning: The court opted not to hold oral arguments as the facts and legal issues were sufficiently presented in the written materials.