Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41286/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41286-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Gerardo Mendoza-Aguilar
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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 03-41286

Conference Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

GERARDO MENDOZA-AGUILAR, also known as Gerardo

Aguilar-Guzman,

Defendant-Appellant.

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

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. M-03-CR-391-1

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

Before JOLLY, JONES, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Gerardo Mendoza-Aguilar (“Mendoza”) appeals his guilty-plea

conviction for illegal re-entry following deportation. Mendoza

argues that 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) is unconstitutional in light of

Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000). Mendoza argues

that, after Apprendi, it is apparent that a majority of the

Supreme Court now feels that Almendarez-Torres v. United States,

523 U.S. 224 (1998), was incorrectly decided. He acknowledges

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No. 03-41286

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that his argument is foreclosed by circuit precedent, but he

raises this issue to preserve it for possible review by the

Supreme Court. Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See

Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 489-90; see also United States v. Dabeit,

231 F.3d 979, 984 (5th Cir. 2000). Therefore, Mendoza’s argument

is foreclosed.

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 03-41286 Document: 0051300455 Page: 2 Date Filed: 04/21/2004