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HIGHSMITH v. ANDREWS (2021)

United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.2021-07-23No. No. 21-6228

Summary

Holding. The court affirmed the district court's denial of Highsmith's § 2241 petition, finding no reversible error in the lower court's decision.

Billy Lee Highsmith, a federal prisoner, challenged his sentence through a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241, invoking the savings clause that allows such petitions when a § 2255 motion would be inadequate or ineffective. The district court denied his petition, and Highsmith appealed. The appellate court examined whether the four-part test for inadequacy under the savings clause was satisfied: whether settled law existed at sentencing, whether that law subsequently changed retroactively, whether Highsmith could not satisfy the procedural requirements for second or successive § 2255 motions, and whether the sentence now constitutes a fundamental defect due to the legal change.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • When habeas corpus under § 2241 may be used to challenge a sentence via the savings clause
  • Whether § 2255 was inadequate or ineffective to test legality of detention
  • Application of retroactive changes in law to collateral review of sentences

Procedural posture

Highsmith appealed the district court's order denying his § 2241 habeas petition challenging his federal sentence.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

Billy Lee Highsmith, a federal prisoner, appeals the district courts order denying relief on his 28 U.S.C. § 2241 petition in which he sought to challenge his sentence by way of the savings clause in 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Pursuant to § 2255(e), a prisoner may challenge his sentence in a traditional writ of habeas corpus pursuant to § 2241 if a § 2255 motion would be inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention.

[Section] 2255 is inadequate and ineffective to test the legality of a sentence when: (1) at the time of sentencing, settled law of this circuit or the Supreme Court established the legality of the sentence; (2) subsequent to the prisoners direct appeal and first § 2255 motion, the aforementioned settled substantive law changed and was deemed to apply retroactively on collateral review; (3) the prisoner is unable to meet the gatekeeping provisions of § 2255(h)(2) for second or successive motions; and (4) due to this retroactive change, the sentence now presents an error sufficiently grave to be deemed a fundamental defect.

United States v. Wheeler, 886 F.3d 415, 429 (4th Cir. 2018).

We have reviewed the record and find no reversible error. Accordingly, we affirm for the reasons stated by the district court. Highsmith v. Andrews, No. 5:19-hc-02203-D (E.D.N.C. Feb. 2, 2021). We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED

PER CURIAM:

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.