Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-20804/USCOURTS-ca5-03-20804-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Marco Antonio Rios-Elias
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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

FILED

April 21, 2004

Charles R. Fulbruge III

Clerk

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

 

No. 03-20804

Conference Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

MARCO ANTONIO RIOS-ELIAS,

Defendant-Appellant.

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

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. H-02-CR-675-1

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

Before JOLLY, JONES, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

 Marco Antonio Rios-Elias (Rios) pleaded guilty to an

indictment charging that he was found in the United States after

having been deported and convicted of an aggravated felony. 

For the first time on appeal, he argues that 8 U.S.C. 

§ 1326(b)(1) and (b)(2) are unconstitutional in light of the

Supreme Court’s ruling in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466,

490 (2000). Rios recognizes that relief is presently foreclosed

 Case: 03-20804 Document: 0051100056 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/21/2004
No. 03-20804

-2-

in this court, but raises the issue to preserve it for further

review. 

 Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres v. United

States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998). See Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 489-90;

see also United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984 (5th Cir.

2000). This court must therefore follow the precedent set in

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: 03-20804 Document: 0051100056 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/21/2004