Jonathon Herrera v. United States

………………………………………………………….……………….. 1 Parties to the Proceeding …………………………………………………..………………… 1 Opinion Below ……………………………………………………………….………………… 3 Jurisdiction …………………………………………………………….……………………… 3 Statutory Provisions Involved ………………………………………………………………. 4 Statement of the Case ……………………………………………………………………..…. 8 I. District Court Indictment, Conviction, and Sentencing ………………… 8 II. Fifth Circuit Appeal of Conviction ………………………………………… 10 III. 28 U.S.C. § 2255 Motion to Set Aside, Vacate, or Correct Sentence …. 11 IV. Request for Certificate of Appealability as to § 2255 Motion …………. 13 V. Request for Relief Pursuant to Rule 60(b) ……………………………….. 14 VI. Fifth Circuit Appeal of Rule 60(b) Motion ……………………………….. 15 Argument in Support ……………………………………………………………………….. 17 I. Precedent from this Court Makes Clear that a Circuit Court Should Engage in a Mere Threshold Inquiry in Deciding a Motion for a COA and Should Not Address the Merits of the Underlying Petition for Post-Conviction Relief ………………………………………... 17 II. The Fifth Circuit Improperly Decided Petitioner’s Motion for a COA on the Merits of His § 2255 Petition Rather than Engaging in the Proper Threshold Inquiry Set by this Court’s Precedent ……………… 20 III. Reasonable Jurists Could Debate Whether Petitioner Made the Necessary Showing to Reopen His § 2255 Motion by Way of His Rule 60(b) Motion, Warranting a COA …………………………………… 21 A. Rule 60(b) Can Be Utilized to Reopen a § 2255 Motion Where “Extraordinary Circumstances” Exist Warranting Relief ..…… 21 B. Petitioner Made a Threshold Showing in His Rule 60(b) Motion and Subsequent Motion for COA that the Limitations Period for Filing Petitioner’s § 2255 Motion Should Be Equitably Tolled Due to Petitioner’s Reliance on Affirmative