No. 18-7440

Christopher Whitman v. United States

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2019-01-16
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: 11th-circuit appeal appellate-procedure conflict-of-interest disqualification due-process effective-assistance-of-counsel ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-discretion juror-bribery plain-error-review sentencing-guidelines standing
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity Immigration
Latest Conference: 2019-02-22
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Should the appeals court have appointed an attorney who did not have a conflict of interest?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED — NN Question One The Constitution guarantees a person the effective assistance of counsel for a first appeal of right. Effective counsel necessarily contemplates an unconflicted attorney. On appeal, the Eleventh Circuit learned Mr. Whitman's trial attorney concealed a juror bribery scheme. Nonetheless, the Eleventh Circuit refused to disqualify the conflicted attorney. NN Should the appeals court have appointed an attorney who did not have a conflict of interest? Question Two This Court held that a plain-error determination involves applying the law at the time of review rather than the law at the time of the alleged error. Henderson v. United States, 568 U.S. 266 (2013). At trial, the district court did not conduct the relevant conduct analysis required by Guidelines section 1B1.3 (Amendment 790). Despite the retroactive nature of the Guidelines amdendment and obviousness of the error, the Eleventh Circuit refused to . recognize and cure the error. . : Does the principle announced in Henderson extend to retroactive changes in the sentencing law? ; -i

Docket Entries

2019-02-25
Petition DENIED.
2019-02-07
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/22/2019.
2019-01-29
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2018-12-23
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due February 15, 2019)
2018-10-10
Application (18A368) granted by Justice Thomas extending the time to file until December 25, 2018.
2018-10-04
Application (18A368) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from November 1, 2018 to December 25, 2018, submitted to Justice Thomas.

Attorneys

Christopher Whitman
Christopher Whitman — Petitioner
Christopher Whitman — Petitioner
United States
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent