Opinion
CR15-0202-JCC
12-27-2021
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. ENRIQUE AGUILAR-VALENCIA, Defendant.
MINUTE ORDER
THE HONORABLE JOHN C. COUGHENOUR, JUDGE.
The following Minute Order is made by direction of the Court, the Honorable John C. Coughenour, United States District Judge:
This matter comes before the Court on Defendant's motion to appoint counsel (Dkt. No. 401). Mr. Aguilar-Valencia seeks the appointment of counsel to assist in the preparation of a motion seeking a reduction in sentence. (Id. at 1-2.) The Court has tasked the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington (“FPD”) with screening pro se motions for compassionate release to determine whether appointment of counsel is warranted. See General Order 03-19 (W.D. Wash. 2019). In fact, Mr. Aguilar-Valencia was previously appointed counsel, based on the FPD's recommendation for just this purpose, (see Dkt. No. 373), who filed a motion seeking a reduction in sentence (Dkt. No. 377). The Court denied that motion, finding that Mr. Aguilar-Valencia failed to demonstrate that he would not represent a danger to the safety of any person or the community. (See Dkt. No. 386 at 3.)
In the instant motion, Mr. Aguilar-Valencia does not articulate what circumstances may have changed to warrant a reconsideration of the Court's prior finding. As a result, the Court FINDS that the appointment of counsel is not warranted here. Accordingly, Mr. Aguilar-Valencia's motion (Dkt. No. 401) is DENIED.