The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
The Federal Public Defender appointed to represent Osvaldo Guajardo moved for leave to withdraw and filed a brief in accordance with Anders v. California and United States v. Flores. The defendant filed a response to the motion.
The court’s reasoning
The court reviewed counsel’s brief, the relevant portions of the record, and the defendant’s response. The court concurred with counsel’s assessment that the appeal presents no nonfrivolous issue for appellate review.
What it means going forward
Counsel is excused from further responsibilities, and the appeal is dismissed without a decision on the merits.
