June 22, 2026·3:24-cr-00073-TKW-1·Per Curiam·By James Taylor
The Eleventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw from representing Kenney Lee Watson on appeal. The court affirmed Watson's conviction and sentence after an independent review found no arguable issues of merit.
Kareem Todman, appointed counsel for Kenney Lee Watson, moved to withdraw from the appeal. The motion was supported by a brief prepared pursuant to Anders v. California. The appeal originated from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
The court’s reasoning
The court conducted an independent review of the entire record. This review revealed that counsel’s assessment of the relative merit of the appeal was correct. The court found no issues of arguable merit that could be raised on appeal.
What it means going forward
The decision allows appointed counsel to withdraw from the case while leaving the defendant’s conviction and sentence in place.
