Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-15-41217/USCOURTS-ca5-15-41217-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Juan Morales-Leon
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-41217

Summary Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee

v.

JUAN MORALES-LEON, also known as Juan L. Morales,

Defendant-Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 5:15-CR-209-1

Before KING, DENNIS, and COSTA, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Juan Morales-Leon appeals the sentence imposed following his guilty 

plea conviction for illegal reentry following deportation in violation of 8 U.S.C. 

§ 1326. He contends that the district court committed reversible plain error by 

classifying his 1997 Illinois conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse as 

a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. § 16(b) and, thus, an aggravated felony for 

purposes of § 1326(b)(2). Morales-Leon argues that his prior conviction does 

 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

December 15, 2016

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 15-41217 Document: 00513798968 Page: 1 Date Filed: 12/15/2016
No. 15-41217

2

not qualify as an aggravated felony pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(F) 

because, under the reasoning in Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 

(2015), the crime of violence definition in § 16(b) is unconstitutionally vague.

The Government has filed an unopposed motion for summary affirmance 

asserting that Morales-Leon’s arguments are foreclosed by our recent decision 

in United States v. Gonzalez-Longoria, 831 F.3d 670 (5th Cir. 2016) (en banc), 

petition for cert. filed (Sept. 29, 2016) (No. 16-6259). In the alternative, the 

Government requests an extension of time in which to file a brief on the merits.

The Government is correct that Gonzalez-Longoria forecloses MoralesLeon’s facial vagueness challenge to § 16(b), as well as his challenge to our 

application of § 16(b) on due process grounds. See id. at 677. Accordingly, the 

Government’s motion for summary affirmance is GRANTED, the alternative 

motion for an extension of time to file a brief is DENIED, and the judgment of 

the district court is AFFIRMED.

 Case: 15-41217 Document: 00513798968 Page: 2 Date Filed: 12/15/2016