Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41300/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41300-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Ricardo Martinez-Canizales
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 03-41300

Conference Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

RICARDO MARTINEZ-CANIZALES,

Defendant-Appellant.

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

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. M-03-CR-400-1

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

Before JOLLY, JONES, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Ricardo Martinez-Canizales appeals his guilty plea

conviction for knowingly importing into the United States more

than five kilograms of cocaine. He argues that 21 U.S.C. §§ 841,

846, 952, and 960 were rendered facially unconstitutional by

Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490 (2000). MartinezCanizales concedes that his argument is foreclosed by our opinion

in United States v. Slaughter, 238 F.3d 580, 581-82 (5th Cir.

 Case: 03-41300 Document: 0051497278 Page: 1 Date Filed: 04/21/2004
No. 03-41300

-2-

2000). He raises the issue only to preserve it for Supreme Court

review. 

A panel of this court cannot overrule a prior panel’s

decision in the absence of an intervening contrary or superseding

decision by this court sitting en banc or by the United States

Supreme Court. Burge v. Parish of St. Tammany, 187 F.3d 452, 466

(5th Cir. 1999). No such decision overruling Slaughter exists. 

Accordingly, Martinez-Canizales’s argument is foreclosed, and the

judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

The Government has moved for a summary affirmance in lieu of

filing an appellee’s brief. In its motion, the Government asks

that an appellee’s brief not be required. The motion is GRANTED. 

AFFIRMED; MOTION GRANTED. 

 Case: 03-41300 Document: 0051497278 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/21/2004