Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-40685/USCOURTS-ca5-03-40685-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Benito Contreras-Perez
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 03-40685

Conference Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

BENITO CONTRERAS-PEREZ,

Defendant-Appellant.

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

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. L-02-CR-1416-ALL

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

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

PER CURIAM:*

Benito Contreras-Perez (Contreras) appeals his guilty-plea

conviction and sentence for illegal reentry following a prior

deportation. He asserts that the sentence-enhancing provisions

contained in 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) are facially unconstitutional in

light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000). Contreras

acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres

v. United States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998), but seeks to preserve the

issue for further review.

 Case: 03-40685 Document: 0051335146 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/18/2004
No. 03-40685

-2-

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 marks and

citation omitted). The judgment of the district court is

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 03-40685 Document: 0051335146 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/18/2004