United States v. Lopesierra-Gutierrez, No. 07-3137 (D.C. Cir. 2013)
Annotate this CaseDefendant, a Colombian national, was extradited for, charged with, and convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine with the knowledge or intent that it would be imported into the United States. On appeal, defendant raised several challenges to his conviction and sentence. Most significantly, defendant maintained that his trial attorney suffered from a conflict of interest that deprived him of his Sixth Amendment right to conflict-free representation and that excessive trial delays violated his constitutional and statutory speedy trial rights. The court concluded that neither claim had merit. Defendant made a rational and informed decision that, given the stipulation and the limited nature of his attorney's conflict, he wanted to proceed with counsel's representation. The district court's explanation of trial delays was sufficient. As to defendant's remaining claims, the court concluded either that the district court made no error or that any such error was harmless. Accordingly, the court affirmed both the conviction and sentence.
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