United States of America v. Victor Guardado Zepeda
May 13, 2026·25-40545·Per Curiam·By James Taylor
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to withdraw counsel and dismissed an appeal. The court found that the appointed attorney's Anders brief correctly identified no nonfrivolous issues for review.
Victor Guardado Zepeda appealed a judgment from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Appointed counsel filed a motion to withdraw and submitted a brief asserting that the appeal lacked nonfrivolous issues. The defendant did not file a response to the motion.
The court’s reasoning
The court reviewed the attorney’s brief and the relevant portions of the record. It concurred with the assessment that the appeal presented no nonfrivolous issue for appellate review.
What it means going forward
Counsel is excused from further responsibilities, and the appeal is terminated without a decision on the merits of the underlying conviction.
