USA v. Sabina Valdez, No. 09-30480 (5th Cir. 2010)

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Case: 09-30480 Document: 00511150362 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/22/2010 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS United States Court of Appeals FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT Fifth Circuit FILED No. 09-30480 Conference Calendar June 22, 2010 Lyle W. Cayce Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee v. SABINA LUNA VALDEZ, Defendant-Appellant Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana USDC No. 6:06-CR-60074-8 Before JOLLY, STEWART, and OWEN, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* The attorney appointed to represent Sabina Luna Valdez has moved for leave to withdraw and has filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967). Valdez has filed a response. The record is insufficiently developed to allow consideration at this time of Valdez s claims of ineffective assistance of counsel; such claims generally cannot be resolved on direct appeal when [they have] not been raised before the district court since no opportunity existed to develop the record on the merits of the allegations. United States v. * Pursuant to 5TH CIR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR . R. 47.5.4. Case: 09-30480 Document: 00511150362 Page: 2 No. 09-30480 Date Filed: 06/22/2010 Cantwell, 470 F.3d 1087, 1091 (5th Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Our independent review of the record, counsel s brief, and Valdez s response discloses no nonfrivolous issue for appeal. Accordingly, counsel s motion for leave to withdraw is GRANTED, counsel is excused from further responsibilities herein, and the APPEAL IS DISMISSED. See 5 TH C IR. R. 42.2. Valdez s motion for appointment of substitute counsel is DENIED. Cf. United States v. Wagner, 158 F.3d 901, 902-03 (5th Cir. 1998). 2

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