Borda v. USA - 2255
Filing
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MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Deborah K. Chasanow on 3/29/2017. (c/m 3/30/2017 aos, Deputy Clerk)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND
JOSE HERNAN BORDA
Petitioner
v
UNITED STATES
Respondent
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* Civil Action No. DKC-17-0762
* Criminal No. DKC-95-267-001
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MEMORANDUM OPINION
On March 15, 2017, Jose Borda filed this Motion to Vacate the four-point level
enhancement to his sentence for his role in the offense. ECF No. 685. Borda’s motion to vacate
is a second or successive motion, as his first motion to vacate was denied by this court on
August 28, 2001. See Borda v. United States, Civil Action No. AW-00-1527 (D. Md. 2000).
ECF No. 542.
Federal inmates are not permitted to file second or successive motions under § 2255
without obtaining certification to do so from a panel of the appropriate court of appeals. 28
U.S.C. §§ 2255(h), 2244(b). As Borda provides no evidence that he has obtained pre-filing
authorization from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the motion will be
dismissed without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction.
A prisoner seeking a motion to vacate has no absolute entitlement to appeal a district
court's denial of his motion. See 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1). “A [COA] may issue ... only if the
applicant has made a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.”
Id. §
2253(c)(2). A petitioner “must demonstrate that reasonable jurists would find the district court’s
assessment of the constitutional claims debatable or wrong,” Tennard v. Dretke, 542 U.S. 274,
282 (2004) (quoting Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000)), or that “the issues presented
were ‘adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further,’” Miller–El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S.
322, 336 (2003) (quoting Slack, 529 U.S. at 484).
Where, as here, a district court dismisses a habeas petition solely on procedural grounds,
a certificate of appealability will not issue unless the petitioner can “demonstrate both (1) ‘that
jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the petition states a valid claim of the denial of
a constitutional right’ and (2) ‘that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the district
court was correct in its procedural ruling.’” Rose v. Lee, 252 F.3d 676, 684–85 (4th Cir. 2001)
(quoting Slack, 529 U.S. at 484). Denial of a Certificate of Appealability does not prevent Borda
from seeking permission to file a successive petition or pursuing his claims after obtaining such
permission. Borda may seek redress by filing a motion to vacate, set aside or correct sentence in
this court after obtaining the requisite pre-authorization from the United States Court of Appeals
for the Fourth Circuit. An Order consistent with this Memorandum Opinion follows.
March 29, 2017
__________/s/_____________________
DEBORAH K. CHASANOW
United States District Judge
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