Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-40934/USCOURTS-ca5-03-40934-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jose Medina-Saldana
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

* 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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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

F I L E D

February 18, 2004

Charles R. Fulbruge III

Clerk

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

 

No. 03-40934

Conference Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

JOSE MEDINA-SALDANA,

Defendant-Appellant.

--------------------

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. B-03-CR-270-1 

--------------------

Before HIGGINBOTHAM, EMILIO M. GARZA, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Jose Medina-Saldana appeals the sentence imposed following

entry of his guilty plea to a charge of being found in the United

States after deportation in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Medina

argues that the sentencing provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) are

unconstitutional. 

Medina-Saldana acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed

by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235 (1998),

but he asserts that the decision has been cast into doubt by

 Case: 03-40934 Document: 0051493226 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/18/2004
No. 03-40934

-2-

Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490 (2000). He seeks to

preserve his argument for Supreme Court review. 

Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See Apprendi,

530 U.S. at 489-90; United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984

(5th Cir. 2000). This court must follow Almendarez-Torres

“unless and until the Supreme Court itself determines to overrule

it.” Dabeit, 231 F.3d at 984 (internal quotation and citation

omitted). The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

 Case: 03-40934 Document: 0051493226 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/18/2004