Ramirez v. United States, No. 13-3889 (7th Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseIn 2008 Ramirez pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. His presentence investigation report classified him as a career offender based on two convictions for assault. Despite the fact that his convictions were for “intentional, knowing, or reckless” assault, counsel did not object. The court sentenced Ramirez as a career offender, treating the Texas convictions as crimes of violence under U.S.S.G. 4B1.2(a)(2)’s residual clause. Ramirez retained new counsel and moved to vacate his sentence under 28 U.S.C. 2255, arguing that sentencing counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the career-offender designation. The judge denied the motion and, because postconviction counsel failed to keep Ramirez informed about the postconviction proceedings, Ramirez did not timely request a certificate of appealability. He tried filing a late request, but it was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. He moved under FRCP 60(b)(6) for relief from the judgment. The district judge denied the motion, on the belief that there is a rigid rule under which there is no right to counsel on collateral review. The Seventh Circuit remanded. noting that the Supreme Court significantly changed its approach to claims of ineffective assistance of counsel at initial review collateral proceedings in 2011 and 2013, so that Ramirez’s argument is cognizable under Rule 60(b),
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