Patrick Connolly v. United States

Patrick Connolly, a federal prisoner proceeding pro se, appeals the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion to vacate his 360-month sentence, imposed after he pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e). We granted a certificate of appealability (“COA”) on the issue of whether Connolly received ineffective assistance of counsel when his trial counsel allegedly forced him to enter a guilty plea. On appeal, Connolly argues that his attorney coerced him into pleading guilty by making “threats” that he would receive a…