§ Forms Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct a Sentence By a Person in Federal Custody

Forms. Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct a Sentence By a Person in Federal Custody

Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct a Sentence By a Person in Federal Custody
(Motion Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255)

Instructions

1. To use this form, you must be a person who is serving a sentence under a judgment against you in a federal court. You
are asking for relief from the conviction or the sentence. This form is your motion for relief.

2. You must file the form in the United States district court that entered the judgment that you are challenging. If you want
to challenge a federal judgment that imposed a sentence to be served in the future, you should file the motion in the federal court that entered that judgment.

3. Make sure the form is typed or neatly written.

4. You must tell the truth and sign the form. If you make a false statement of a material fact, you may be prosecuted for
perjury.

5. Answer all the questions. You do not need to cite law. You may submit additional pages if necessary. If you do not fill
out the form properly, you will be asked to submit additional or correct information. If you want to submit a brief or arguments, you must submit them in a separate memorandum.

6. If you cannot pay for the costs of this motion (such as costs for an attorney or transcripts), you may ask to proceed in
forma pauperis (as a poor person). To do that, you must fill out the last page of this form. Also, you must submit a certificate signed by an officer at the institution where you are confined showing the amount of money that the institution
is holding for you.

7. In this motion, you may challenge the judgment entered by only one court. If you want to challenge a judgment entered by a different judge or division (either in the same district or in a different district), you must file a separate motion.

8. When you have completed the form, send the original and two copies to the Clerk of the United States District Court at
this address:

               Clerk, United States District Court for _______________
               Address
              City, State Zip Code

9. CAUTION: You must include in this motion all the grounds for relief from the conviction or sentence that you
challenge. And you must state the facts that support each ground. If you fail to set forth all the grounds in this motion, you may be barred from presenting additional grounds at a later date.

10. CAPITAL CASES: If you are under a sentence of death, you are entitled to the assistance of counsel and should
request the appointment of counsel.

MOTION UNDER 28 U.S.C. § 2255 TO VACATE, SET ASIDE, OR CORRECT SENTENCE BY A PERSON IN
FEDERAL CUSTODY

United States District Court District

Name (under which you were convicted): Docket or Case No.:

Place of Confinement: Prisoner No.:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Movant (include name under which convicted)

MOTION

    1. (a) Name and location of court that entered the judgment of conviction you are challenging:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(b) Criminal docket or case number (if you know):
________________________________________________________________________

2. (a) Date of the judgment of conviction (if you know):
________________________________________________________________________

(b) Date of sentencing: ________________________________________________________________________

3. Length of sentence: ________________________________________________________________________

    4. Nature of crime (all counts):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

5. (a) What was your plea? (Check one)

(1) Not guilty [ ] (2) Guilty [ ] (3) Nolo contendere (no contest) [ ]

        (b) If you entered a guilty plea to one count or indictment, and a not guilty plea to another count or indictment, what did
you plead guilty to and what did you plead not guilty to?
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

6. If you went to trial, what kind of trial did you have? (Check one) Jury [ ] Judge only [ ]

7. Did you testify at a pretrial hearing, trial, or post-trial hearing? Yes [ ] No [ ]

8. Did you appeal from the judgment of conviction? Yes [ ] No [ ]

9. If you did appeal, answer the following:

(a) Name of court: ________________________________________________________________________

(b) Docket or case number (if you know):
________________________________________________________________________

(d) Date of result (if you know):
________________________________________________________________________

(e) Citation to the case (if you know):
________________________________________________________________________

        (f) Grounds raised: ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(g) Did you file a petition for certiorari in the United States Supreme Court? Yes [ ] No [ ]
If “Yes,” answer the following:

(1) Docket or case number (if you
know):___________________________________________________________________

(2) Result:___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

(3) Date of result (if you know):
___________________________________________________________________

(4) Citation to the case (if you know):
___________________________________________________________________

            (5) Grounds raised: ___________________________________________________________________
    ___________________________________________________________________
    ___________________________________________________________________
    ___________________________________________________________________
    ___________________________________________________________________
    ___________________________________________________________________
    ___________________________________________________________________

10. Other than the direct appeals listed above, have you previously filed any other motions, petitions, or applications
concerning this judgment of conviction in any court?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

11. If your answer to Question 10 was “Yes,” give the following information:

(a) (1) Name of court: ___________________________________________________________________

(2) Docket or case number (if you know):
___________________________________________________________________

(3) Date of filing (if you know):
___________________________________________________________________

(4) Nature of the proceeding:
___________________________________________________________________

(6) Did you receive a hearing where evidence was given on your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(7) Result: ___________________________________________________________________

(8) Date of result (if you know):
___________________________________________________________________

(b) If you filed any second motion, petition, or application, give the same information:

(1) Name of court: ___________________________________________________________________

(2) Docket or case number (if you know):
___________________________________________________________________

(3) Date of filing (if you
know):___________________________________________________________________

(4) Nature of the proceeding:
___________________________________________________________________

(6) Did you receive a hearing where evidence was given on your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(7) Result: ___________________________________________________________________

(8) Date of result (if you know):
___________________________________________________________________

(c) Did you appeal to a federal appellate court having jurisdiction over the action taken on your motion, petition, or
application?

(1) First petition: Yes [ ] No [ ]

(2) Second petition: Yes [ ] No [ ]

(d) If you did not appeal from the action on any motion, petition, or application, explain briefly why you did not:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. For this motion, state every ground on which you claim that you are being held in violation of the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States. Attach additional pages if you have more than four grounds. State the facts supporting each ground.

GROUND ONE:_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

(a) Supporting facts (Do not argue or cite law. Just state the specific facts that support your claim.):

    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(b) Direct Appeal of Ground One:

(1) If you appealed from the judgment of conviction, did you raise this issue?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

            (2) If you did not raise this issue in your direct appeal, explain why:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(1) Did you raise this issue in any post-conviction motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(2) If your answer to Question (c)(1) is “Yes,” state:

    Type of motion or petition: ________________________________________________________________________
    Name and location of the court where the motion or petition was filed:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Docket or case number (if you know):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Date of the court's decision: ________________________________________________________________________
    Result (attach a copy of the court's opinion or order, if available):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(3) Did you receive a hearing on your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(4) Did you appeal from the denial of your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(5) If your answer to Question (c)(4) is “Yes,” did you raise this issue in the appeal?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

            (6) If your answer to Question (c)(4) is “Yes,” state:
    Name and location of the court where the appeal was filed:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Docket or case number (if you know):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Date of the court's decision: ________________________________________________________________________
    Result (attach a copy of the court's opinion or order, if available):
    ________________________________________________________________________

            (7) If your answer to Question (c)(4) or Question (c)(5) is “No,” explain why you did not appeal or raise this issue:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

GROUND TWO:_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

        (a) Supporting facts (Do not argue or cite law. Just state the specific facts that support your claim.):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(b) Direct Appeal of Ground Two:

(1) If you appealed from the judgment of conviction, did you raise this issue?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(1) Did you raise this issue in any post-conviction motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

            (2) If your answer to Question (c)(1) is “Yes,” state:
    Type of motion or petition: ________________________________________________________________________
    Name and location of the court where the motion or petition was filed:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Docket or case number (if you know):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Date of the court's decision: ________________________________________________________________________
    Result (attach a copy of the court's opinion or order, if available):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(3) Did you receive a hearing on your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(4) Did you appeal from the denial of your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(5) If your answer to Question (c)(4) is “Yes,” did you raise this issue in the appeal?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

GROUND THREE:_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

(b) Direct Appeal of Ground Three:

(1) If you appealed from the judgment of conviction, did you raise this issue?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(2) If you did not raise this issue in your direct appeal, explain why:

(1) Did you raise this issue in any post-conviction motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

            (2) If your answer to Question (c)(1) is “Yes,” state:
    Type of motion or petition: ________________________________________________________________________
    Name and location of the court where the motion or petition was filed:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Docket or case number (if you know):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Date of the court's decision:
    Result (attach a copy of the court's opinion or order, if available):
    ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

(3) Did you receive a hearing on your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(4) Did you appeal from the denial of your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(5) If your answer to Question (c)(4) is “Yes,” did you raise this issue in the appeal?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

GROUND FOUR:_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

(b) Direct Appeal of Ground Four:

(1) If you appealed from the judgment of conviction, did you raise this issue?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(1) Did you raise this issue in any post-conviction motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

            (2) If your answer to Question (c)(1) is “Yes,” state:
    Type of motion or petition: ________________________________________________________________________
    Name and location of the court where the motion or petition was filed:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Docket or case number (if you know):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Date of the court's decision: ________________________________________________________________________
    Result (attach a copy of the court's opinion or order, if available):
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(3) Did you receive a hearing on your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(4) Did you appeal from the denial of your motion, petition, or application?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

(5) If your answer to Question (c)(4) is “Yes,” did you raise this issue in the appeal?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

            (6) If your answer to Question (c)(4) is “Yes,” state:
    Name and location of the court where the appeal was filed:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Docket or case number (if you know):
    ________________________________________________________________________
    Date of the court's decision: ________________________________________________________________________
    Result (attach a copy of the court's opinion or order, if available):
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Is there any ground in this motion that you have not previously presented in some federal court? If so, which ground or grounds have not been presented, and state your reasons for not presenting them:

14. Do you have any motion, petition, or appeal now pending (filed and not decided yet) in any court for the judgment you are challenging? Yes [ ] No [ ]

    If “Yes,” state the name and location of the court, the docket or case number, the type of proceeding, and the issues
raised. ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

15. Give the name and address, if known, of each attorney who represented you in the following stages of the judgment you are challenging:

(a) At preliminary hearing: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

        (b) At arraignment and plea:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(c) At trial: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

(d) At sentencing: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

(e) On appeal: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

        (f) In any post-conviction proceeding:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

        (g) On appeal from any ruling against you in a post-conviction proceeding:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

16. Were you sentenced on more than one count of an indictment, or on more than one indictment, in the same court and at the same time? Yes [ ] No [ ]

17. Do you have any future sentence to serve after you complete the sentence for the judgment that you are challenging? Yes [ ] No [ ]

        (a) If so, give name and location of court that imposed the other sentence you will serve in the future:
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

(b) Give the date the other sentence was imposed:
________________________________________________________________________

(d) Have you filed, or do you plan to file, any motion, petition, or application that challenges the judgment or sentence
to be served in the future? Yes [ ] No [ ]

    18. TIMELINESS OF MOTION: If your judgment of conviction became final over one year ago, you must explain why the
one-year statute of limitations as contained in 28 U.S.C. § 2255 does not bar your
    motion.*________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________________________

* The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (“AEDPA”) as contained in 28 U.S.C. § 2255, paragraph 6,
provides in part that:

A one-year period of limitation shall apply to a motion under this section. The limitation period shall run from the latest
of--

(1) the date on which the judgment of conviction became final;

(2) the date on which the impediment to making a motion created by governmental action in violation of the
Constitution or laws of the United States is removed, if the movant was prevented from making such a motion by such governmental action;

(3) the date on which the right asserted was initially recognized by the Supreme Court, if that right has been
newly recognized by the Supreme Court and made retroactively applicable to cases on collateral review; or

(4) the date on which the facts supporting the claim or claims presented could have been discovered through the
exercise of due diligence.

    Therefore, movant asks that the Court grant the following relief:
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    or any other relief to which movant may be entitled.

______________________________________
Signature of Attorney (if any)

I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct and that this Motion Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 was placed in the prison mailing system on
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
(month, date, year).

Executed (signed) on ________ (date).

______________________________________
Signature of Movant

    If the person signing is not movant, state relationship to movant and explain why movant is not signing this motion.
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    _____________________________________________________________________________

IN FORMA PAUPERIS DECLARATION

[INSERT APPROPRIATE COURT]

United States DECLARATION IN

SUPPORT

v. OF REQUEST

______________________________ TO PROCEED

(Movant) IN FORMA

PAUPERIS

I, ______________________________, declare that I am the movant in the above entitled case; that in support of my motion to proceed without being required to prepay fees, costs or give security therefor, I state that because of my poverty, I am unable to pay the costs of said proceeding or to give security therefor; that I believe I am entitled to relief.

1. Are you presently employed? Yes [ ] No [ ]

a. If the answer is “yes,” state the amount of your salary or wages per month, and give the name and address of your employer.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

b. If the answer is “no,” state the date of last employment and the amount of the salary and wages per month which you received.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Have you received within the past twelve months any money from any of the following sources?

a. Business, profession or form of self-employment? Yes [ ] No [ ]

b. Rent payments, interest or dividends? Yes [ ] No [ ]

c. Pensions, annuities or life insurance payments? Yes [ ] No [ ]

d. Gifts or inheritances? Yes [ ] No [ ]

e. Any other sources? Yes [ ] No [ ]

    If the answer to any of the above is “yes,” describe each source of money and state the amount received from each during the past twelve months.
    _________________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________________

        3. Do you own any cash, or do you have money in a checking or savings account?
    Yes [ ] No [ ] (Include any funds in prison accounts)
    If the answer is “yes,” state the total value of the items owned.
    _________________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________________

4. Do you own real estate, stocks, bonds, notes, automobiles, or other valuable property (excluding ordinary household furnishings and clothing)?
Yes [ ] No [ ]

    If the answer is “yes,” describe the property and state its approximate value.
    _________________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________________

        5. List the persons who are dependent upon you for support, state your relationship to those persons, and indicate how much you contribute toward their support.
    _________________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________________

I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on
__________(date).

______________________________________
Signature of Movant

CERTIFICATE

    I hereby certify that the movant herein has the sum of $______ on account to his credit at the ______ institution where he is confined. I further certify that movant likewise has the following securities to his credit according to the records of said ______ institution:
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    _____________________________________________________________________________
    _____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________
Authorized Officer of Institution