The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing Gustavo Armando Amaya. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for review.
Gustavo Armando Amaya appealed a conviction from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The Federal Public Defender appointed to represent him moved to withdraw and filed a brief asserting the appeal lacked nonfrivolous issues.
The court’s reasoning
The court reviewed counsel’s brief and the relevant portions of the record. It concurred with counsel’s assessment that the appeal presented no nonfrivolous issue for appellate review.
What it means going forward
Appointed counsel is excused from further responsibilities, and the appeal is terminated without a decision on the merits.
