US v. Harold Blondeau

Filing

UNPUBLISHED PER CURIAM OPINION filed. Motion disposition in opinion--denying Motion to appoint/assign counsel [998806747-2]. Originating case numbers: 5:09-cr-00117-H-1,5:11-cv-00124-H Copies to all parties and the district court/agency. [998852517]. Mailed to: Harold Blondeau. [11-7576]

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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 11-7576

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v.
HAROLD EARL BLONDEAU,
Defendant - Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of North Carolina, at Greenville.
Malcolm J. Howard,
Senior District Judge. (5:09-cr-00117-H-1; 5:11-cv-00124-H)

Submitted:

February 23, 2012

Before KING and
Circuit Judge.

DAVIS,

Circuit

Decided:

Judges,

and

May 11, 2012

HAMILTON,

Senior

Vacated in part and remanded by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Harold Earl Blondeau, Appellant Pro Se.
Seth Morgan Wood,
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Raleigh, North Carolina,
for Appellee.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

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PER CURIAM:
Harold Earl Blondeau, a federal prisoner, filed a 28
U.S.C.A. § 2255 (West Supp. 2011) motion contending, among other
claims,

that

his

trial

counsel

were

unconstitutionally

ineffective in failing to consult with him regarding his desire
to

file

an

appeal.

appealability

and

We

granted

received

Blondeau

further

a

briefing

on

certificate
the

of

issue

of

counsel’s alleged failure to consult with Blondeau regarding his
appellate prospects.

We now conclude that the district court’s

dismissal of Blondeau’s § 2255 motion without first holding an
evidentiary

hearing

was

an

abuse

of

its

discretion.

As

a

result, we vacate in part and remand with instructions to grant
Blondeau

a

hearing

on

his

ineffective

assistance

of

counsel

claim.
In § 2255 proceedings, “[u]nless the motion and the
files

and

records

of

the

case

conclusively

show

that

the

prisoner is entitled to no relief, the court shall . . . grant a
prompt hearing thereon, determine the issues and make findings
of fact and conclusions of law with respect thereto.”
§ 2255(b).

28 U.S.C.

An evidentiary hearing in open court is required

when a movant presents a colorable Sixth Amendment claim showing
disputed

facts

determination

is

beyond

the

necessary

record
in

order

or
to

when

a

resolve

credibility
the

issue.

United States v. Witherspoon, 231 F.3d 923, 925-27 (4th Cir.
2

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2000); see also Raines v. United States, 423 F.2d 526, 530 (4th
Cir. 1970).
conduct

an

This court reviews a district court’s refusal to
evidentiary

hearing

for

an

abuse

of

discretion.

Conaway v. Polk, 453 F.3d 567, 582 (4th Cir. 2006).
Our review of the circumstances of this case convinces
us

that

Blondeau’s

counsel

had

a

duty

regarding his wishes to file an appeal.

to

consult

Blondeau

See Roe v. Flores-

Ortega, 528 U.S. 470, 478-80 (2000); United States v. Cooper,
617 F.3d 307, 313 (4th Cir. 2010); United States v. Poindexter,
492 F.3d 263, 269 (4th Cir. 2007).

Accordingly, the ultimate

success of Blondeau’s § 2255 motion depends on whether counsel
actually did or did not consult with him about his appellate
preferences.

Blondeau

claims

that

they

did

not,

but

the

district court dismissed his § 2255 motion without conducting
any sort of inquiry into the issue.

Because whether Blondeau’s

assertions are correct with respect to his counsel’s conduct
necessarily requires a credibility determination, or at least
the

receipt

of

evidence

outside

evidentiary hearing was required.
925-27.

the

present

record,

an

See Witherspoon, 231 F.3d at

The district court therefore abused its discretion in

failing to hold one.
Accordingly, we vacate in part the district court’s
dismissal of Blondeau’s 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion and remand with
instructions to grant him an evidentiary hearing on his claim
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that counsel failed to consult with him regarding his desire to
file an appeal.
counsel.
legal
before

We deny Blondeau’s motion for appointment of

We dispense with oral argument because the facts and

contentions
the

court

are

adequately

and

argument

presented

would

not

in
aid

the
the

materials
decisional

process.

VACATED IN PART
AND REMANDED

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