Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-20494/USCOURTS-ca5-03-20494-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jose Rodriguez-Lopez
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 03-20494

Conference Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

JOSE RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ,

Defendant-Appellant.

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

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. H-02-CR-734-1

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

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

PER CURIAM:*

Jose Rodriguez-Lopez appeals his guilty-plea conviction for

illegal reentry into the United States following an aggravated

felony conviction in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. For the

first time on appeal, Rodriguez-Lopez argues that the sentencing

provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) & (2) are unconstitutional in

light of the Supreme Court’s holding in Apprendi v. New Jersey,

530 U.S. 466 (2000).

 Case: 03-20494 Document: 0051507528 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/18/2004
No. 03-20494

-2-

Rodriguez-Lopez acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed

by the Supreme Court’s decision in Almendarez-Torres v. United

States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998), but he seeks to preserve the issue

for Supreme Court review. Apprendi did not overrule AlmendarezTorres. See Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 489-90; United States

v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984 (5th Cir. 2000). Rodriguez-Lopez’s

argument is foreclosed. The judgment of the district court is

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 03-20494 Document: 0051507528 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/18/2004