United States First Circuit

In a criminal prosecution of several co-defendants for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, wherein the trial court rejected one defendant's attempted guilty pleas, denial of defendant's attempted guilty pleas and jury conviction are both affirmed over claims that: 1) the district court improperly rejected the guilty pleas despite an acknowledgment of feeling "forced" to plea guilty; 2) the government presented documents which should not have been admitted into evidence and made improper references during close arguments; and 3) defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/13/2008
• Published 06/16/2008

Judges

• TORRUELLA, Circuit Judge., Before BOUDIN, Chief Judge, TORRUELLA, Circuit Judge, and SELYA, Senior Circuit Judge.

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Rafael F. Castro-Lang, for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Ernesto López-Soltero, Assistant United States Attorney, with whom Rosa E. Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney, Nelson Pérez-Sosa, Assistant United States Attorney, Chief, Appellate Division, and Germán A. Rieckehoff, Assistant United States Attorney, were on brief for appellee.