United States v. Juan Ruben Estela-Melendez

Appellant was ordered detained pending trial. He seeks appellate review of the detention order. He failed, however, to file a timely notice of appeal. His subsequent efforts to get his case into a procedural posture whereby this court could review the detention order have led to this appeal. We review the background.

Defendant was indicted along with forty other people for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine and various substantive offenses. In particular, defendant was alleged to have been involved in a November 1, 1986 importation of 1,200 pounds of…