WESLEY CHUCK JACOBS, Pеtitioner, vs. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondent.
CIV. 11-5084-JLV
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF SOUTH DAKOTA WESTERN DIVISION
April 16, 2013
JEFFREY L. VIKEN, CHIEF JUDGE
ORDER DISMISSING CASE
INTRODUCTION
Petitioner Wesley Chuck Jacobs filed a motion to vacate, set aside, or correct sentence pursuant to
DISCUSSION1
Mr. Jacobs pled guilty in United States District Court to assault with a dangerous weapon in violation of
In this 2255 Motion, Mr. Jacobs claims his “conviction in federal court is barred by
Timeliness of the 2255 Motion
Under
Prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1153
The Major Crimes Act,
Any Indian who commits against the person or property of another Indian or other person any of the following offenses, namely, murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, maiming, a felony under chapter 109A, incest, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury (as defined in section 1365 of this title), an assault against an individual who has not attained the age of 16 years, felony child abuse or neglect, arson, burglary, robbery, and a felony under section 661 of this title within the Indian country, shall be subject to the same law and penalties as all other persons committing any of the above offenses, within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States.
“It is undisputed that Indian tribes have power to enforce their criminal laws against tribe members. Although physicаlly within the territory of the United States and subject to ultimate federal control, they nonetheless remain a separate people, with the power of regulating their internal and social relations.” United States v. Wheeler, 435 U.S. 313, 322 (1978), superceded in other aspects by statute,
In Wheeler, the Supreme Court acknowledged the existence of the General Crimes Act,
In sum, the power to punish offenses against tribal law committed by Tribe members, which was part of the Navajos’ primeval sovereignty, has never been taken away from them, either explicitly or implicitly, and is attributable in no way to any delegation to them of federal authority. It follows that when the Navajo Tribe exercises this power, it does so as part of its retained sovereignty and not as an arm of the Federal Governmеnt. Since tribal and federal prosecutions are brought by separate sovereigns, they are not “for the same offence,” and the Double Jeopardy Clause thus does not bar one when the other has occurred.
The ultimate impact of Mr. Jacobs’ argument was anticipated by the Wheeler court:
[F]ederal jurisdiction over crimes committed by Indians includes many major offenses.
18 U.S.C. § 1153 . . . . Thus, when both a federal prosecution for a major crime and a tribal prosecution for a lesser included offense are possible, the defendant will often face the potential of a mild tribal punishment and a federal punishment of substantial severity. Indeed, the [defendant] in the present case faced the possibility of a federal sentence of 15 years in prison, but received a tribal sentence of no more than 75 days and a small fine. In such a case, the prospect of avoiding more severe federal рunishment would surely motivate a member of a tribe charged with the commission of an offense to seek to stand trial first in a tribal court. Were the tribal prosecution held to bar the federal one, important federal interests in the prosecution of major offenses on Indian reservations would be frustrated.
In United States v. Lara, 541 U.S. 193 (2004), an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota pled guilty in tribal court for “violence to a policeman.” Id. at 196. As a result of the prosecution in Spirit Lake Tribal Court, Mr. Lara “served 90 days in jail.”
Following the Supreme Court‘s decision in Lara, a situation similar to that of Mr. Jacobs occurred in Federal District Court for the District of South Dakota. On August 17, 2007, Nephi Antelope an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe assaulted another tribal member with a dangerous weapon. United States v. Antelope, 548 F.3d 1155, 1156 (8th Cir. 2008). Mr. Antelope pled “no contest to complicity to aggravated assault in Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court.” Id. “Pursuant tо a plea agreement, Antelope was sentenced to ninety days’ imprisonment, seventy-one of which were suspended . . . .” Id. Mr. Antelope was then “indicted in federal district court for the same incident and pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.” Id. “Antelope moved to withdraw his guilty plea.” Id. at 1157. “He argued that because he had pleaded no contest to a similar charge related to the same incident in tribal court, the Fifth Amendment‘s double jeopardy clausе barred the federal prosecution
The constitutional protection against double jeopardy does not insulate Mr. Jacobs from prosecution for the same conduct in both tribal court and in federal court pursuant to
Mr. Jacobs’ 2255 Motion as it relates to
Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
Mr. Jаcobs’ 2255 Motion asserts his attorney failed to raise “the potential bar of the Tribal Court action to the identical prosecution in this
Had the petitioner been fully informed of the defenses to the charges, rather than accepting the plea agreement, a number of issues and challenges could have been made to the prosecution, including but not limited to challenges to the cause of the alleged bruises to the purported victim; pre-incidence bruises to the victim; the tribal police forcing the victim to have a medical examination when there was no medical reason for such examination; the actual number of bruises; precipitating events to the incident; whether the alleged dangerous weapon met the legal definition of a dangerous weapon; the psychological state of both defendant and alleged victim at the time of the alleged incident. But for counsel‘s deficient performance, a reasоnable probability exists that petitioner would not have pleaded guilty and insisted on a trial.
Id. at pp. 9-10. “In addition, petitioner would only be serving a single sentence rather than a dual sentence, one in this Court and the other in Tribal Court.” Id. at p. 9.
“[T]o be successful on an ineffective assistance [of counsel] claim, a defendant must ‘show both deficient performance by counsel and prejudice to the defense caused by that performance.‘” Nupdal v. Unitеd States, 666 F.3d 1074, 1075 (8th Cir. 2012) (citing Barger v. United States, 204 F.3d 1180, 1182 (8th Cir. 2000) (also referencing Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 688 (1984)). Mr. Jacobs’ argument raises two separate issues. First, was his attorney ineffective in failing to raise the double jeopardy claim? Second, was his attorney ineffective in failing to fully inform Mr. Jacobs of his trial options?
Regarding the double jeopardy claim, the law is well-settled that the prosecution of Mr. Jacobs in Oglala Sioux Tribal Court for the assault on his wife was not a bar to his prosecution in federal court for assault with a dangerous weapon. Wheeler, supra; Lara, supra; and Antelope, supra. As a matter of law, trial counsel was not deficient in his performance. See Hamburg v. United States, 675 F.3d 1170, 1173 (8th Cir. 2012) (“If we do not require counsel to raise arguments that anticipate changes in the law or raise unsettled issues of law, then it cannot be considered professionally unreasonable for counsel to fail to object to the correct application of settled law within our circuit.“). There is no merit to Mr. Jacobs’ claim his attоrney was ineffective or deficient in not raising a double jeopardy claim. The 2255 Motion on this issue is denied.
Mr. Jacobs’ claim he was unaware of his trial options is not supported by the plea agreement, the factual basis statement, or the transcripts of the change of plea and sentencing hearings.5 On April 27, 2010, Mr. Jacobs
appeared with counsel before the court pursuant to a plea agreement. (CR. 09-50095-JLV, Docket 48). Mr. Jacobs agreed to pleаd guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon in violation of
On or about the 21st day of September, 2009, near Sharps, in Indian country, in the District of South Dakota, the defendant, Wesley Chuck Jacobs, an Indian, did unlawfully assault Jennifer Lynn Jacobs with a dangerous weapon, that is, a belt, with intent to do bodily harm, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(a)(3) and 1153.
(CR. 09-50095-JLV, Docket 1). In exchange for Mr. Jacobs’ guilty plea, count I of the indictment, assault resulting in serious bodily injury in violation of
At the change of plea hearing Mr. Jacobs was placed under oath.6 Id., Docket 69 at p. 3:16-18. Mr. Jacobs holds a graduate degree from Amherst College. Id. at p. 4:11-16. Mr. Jacobs was able to fully understand the nature of the change of plea hearing. Id. at p. 6:6-9. He testified he had
The court meticulously reviewed with Mr. Jacobs the elements of the offense of assault with a dangerous weapon as charged in count II of the indictment. Id. at pp. 15:21-16:24. Mr. Jacobs testified he understood the elements of the offense. Id. at pp. 16:25-17:3. The court engaged in a detailed discussion with Mr. Jacobs about his constitutional rights and his right to proceed to trial. Id. at pp. 17:14-19:22. Mr. Jacobs acknowledged that by entеring a guilty plea he would be giving up his right to defend the case and his right to trial on the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. Id. at pp. 19:23-20:2. Mr. Jacobs denied that anyone put any pressure on him to plead guilty. Id. at p. 20:18-20. Mr. Jacobs testified he was fully satisfied he understood the consequences of a plea of guilty. Id. at p. 23:12-14. After being fully informed of his constitutional and statutory rights, Mr. Jacobs pled guilty to count II of the indictment charging assault with a dangerous weapon. Id. at p. 23:15-20.
Mr. Jacobs testified that all of the information contained in the factual basis statement was true and accurate. Id. at p. 24:10-15; see also CR. 09-
On September 21,2009, Wesley Chuck Jacobs confronted his wife, Jennifer Jacobs, inside their home near Sharps Corner, South Dakota. Wesley Jacobs then repeatedly struck Jennifer Jacobs about her body with a leather belt. Jennifer Jacobs was unаble to resist. The beatings occurred over the course of several hours and consisted of numerous strikes upon Jennifer Jacobs’ body. As a result, Jennifer Jacobs suffered widespread physical pain about her body necessitating an examination at the Indian Health Services hospital.
(CR. 09-50095-JLV, Docket 49). Mr. Jacobs admitted those facts and confirmed he was actually guilty of the crime. Id., Docket 69 at p. 24:15-19.
It was on the basis of the plea agreement, the factual basis stаtement and the record made at the change of plea hearing that the court accepted Mr. Jacobs’ guilty plea and found him guilty of the offense of assault with a dangerous weapon. Id. at p. 25:11-21.
In advance of sentencing, Mr. Jacobs submitted an allocution statement in which he advised the court:
I accept and acknowledge full responsibility for my actions . . . . No one twisted my arm or forced me in any way to inflict the pain and suffering my actions caused another human being.
My actions on September 21st do not reflect who I am or my true character in any shape or form. . . . This egregious act on my part is inexplicable . . . .
I can‘t undo what I did to Jennifer . . . .
I understand and completely agree whatever provocation Jennifer was at fault for, it in no way justified my indespicable act. . . . I
should have controlled myself and I‘ve got only myself to blame for losing control. Now I‘m rightly facing the consequences for the loss of control. Although my аctions were definitely a crime of passion, [Jennifer‘s] confessed provocation and self-proclaimed guilt do not excuse my assault . . . .
I still cannot believe I was capable of inflicting so much pain on someone I hold so dear to my heart. . . .
(CR. 09-50095-JLV, Docket 78).
The sentencing hearing was held on July 19, 2010. Id., Docket 70. Mr. Jacobs again acknowledged7 he was fully able to comprehend and appreciate the purpose of the sentencing hearing. Id. at p. 2:21-24. The court advised it had read Mr. Jacobs’ four-page allocution statemеnt, which although unsigned, was taken to be Mr. Jacobs’ words. Id. at p. 5:4-8. The court also reviewed 31 photographs of Jennifer Jacobs taken shortly after the assault of September 21, 2009,8 and listened to a CD containing three 911 call recordings from Jennifer Jacobs to Oglala Sioux Tribe Dispatch on September 21, 2009. Id. at p. 5:20-24.
Defense counsel withdrew objections one through four to the PSR. Id. at pp. 10:21-22 & 11:11-13. Mr. Jacobs offered the following statement prior to the imposition of sentence:
Thank you, Your Honor. I guess I want to thank everybody for coming up and supporting me in the sentencing. I want to apologize at the outset to all the people in the courtroom fоr my behavior. There‘s no excuse for it. I know I let them down. I let myself down, but I let my family down. . . . I accept the responsibility for what I did. . . .
Id. at pp. 96:9-12; 97:25-98:1.
“The benchmark for judging any claim of ineffectiveness must be whether counsel‘s conduct so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial cannot be relied on as having produced a just result.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 686. The court concluded at the change of plea hearing, and finds again for this record, that Mr. Jacobs knowingly аnd voluntarily entered into the plea agreement. Mr. Jacobs is a well-educated, intelligent individual. He understood the option for trial available to him. Mr. Jacobs understood the waiver of his appeal rights on non-jurisdictional issues prior to entry of his plea of guilty. See United States v. Osei, 679 F.3d 742, 747 (8th Cir. 2012) (“Osei, who is highly
Mr. Jacobs’ claim he was unaware of and was ill-advised by defense counsel about the “consequential effects of pleading guilty” is disрroven by the extensive record in his criminal case. Mr. Jacobs fails to satisfy the first prong of the ineffective assistance of counsel test. “[A] guilty plea cannot be attacked as based on inadequate legal advice unless counsel was not ‘a reasonably competent attorney’ and the advice was not ‘within the range of competence demanded of attorneys in criminal cases.‘” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688 (internal citation omitted). Mr. Jacobs fails to “show . . . deficient performance by counsel . . . .” Nupdal, 666 F.3d at 1075. Mr. Jacobs’ 2255 Motion on ineffective assistance of counsel grounds is denied.
ORDER
Based upon the above findings of fact and conclusions of law, it is hereby
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, pursuant to
Dated April 16, 2013.
BY THE COURT:
/s/ Jeffrey L. Viken
JEFFREY L. VIKEN
CHIEF JUDGE
