UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

_________________________________ 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff - Appellee, 

v. 

ALBERT MARTINEZ, 

 Defendant - Appellant. 

No. 19-2046 

(D.C. No. 1:18-CR-00101-WJ-1) 

(D. N.M.) 

_________________________________ 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

_________________________________ 

Before BRISCOE, KELLY, and CARSON, Circuit Judges. 

_________________________________ 

Albert Martinez appeals the sentence imposed following his guilty plea to one 

count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Martinez had three prior 

convictions that the district court counted as violent felonies for purposes of the 

Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA): one for residential burglary, and two for 

robbery. Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we affirm the 

judgment of the district court. 

Responding to a complaint about a car blocking a driveway, the police 

discovered Martinez had an outstanding warrant for failure to report to his probation 

* This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines 

of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for 

its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1. 

FILED 

United States Court of Appeals 

Tenth Circuit 

April 22, 2020

Christopher M. Wolpert 

Clerk of Court
2 

officer. ROA Vol. II at 11–12, 33. After Martinez was arrested, police found a pistol 

in a Crown Royal bag in a pocket of his cargo shorts. Id. at 13–14, 33. 

Martinez pleaded guilty, without a plea agreement, to being a felon in 

possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Id. at 24. He had three 

prior New Mexico convictions: one for residential burglary, and two convictions for 

robbery. ROA Vol. I at 7–8, 19. Martinez argued the crimes underlying these 

convictions did not qualify as violent felonies for purposes of the ACCA’s 

enhancements. Id. Vol. II at 8–10. The district court disagreed, found the convictions 

qualified as predicate offenses, and sentenced Martinez to the mandatory minimum of 

180 months. Id. Vol. I at 39, Vol. II at 17. 

A conviction under § 922(g) carries a statutory maximum sentence of ten 

years. 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2). If, however, the defendant “has three previous 

convictions . . . for a violent felony or a serious drug offense, or both,” a statutory 

mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years applies. 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1). The 

ACCA defines the term “violent felony” as “any crime punishable by imprisonment 

for a term exceeding one year” that: (1) “has as an element the use, attempted use, or 

threatened use of physical force against the person of another” (elements clause); (2) 

“is burglary, arson, or extortion, [or] involves the use of explosives” (enumerated 

clause); or (3) “otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of 

physical injury to another” (residual clause). Id. § 924(e)(2)(B). Martinez challenges 

the application of the ACCA to all three of his prior convictions. However, we have 

previously held that convictions for residential burglary and robbery under New 
3 

Mexico law are violent felonies. Martinez has presented nothing in his appellate 

briefing which would support our ruling to the contrary. 

Absent en banc consideration, one panel of this court cannot overturn the 

decision of another. See United States v. Doe, 865 F.3d 1295, 1298 (10th Cir. 2017). 

Martinez acknowledges this reality. Aplt. Br. at 7 (citing United States v. White, 782 

F.3d 1118, 1126–27 (10th Cir. 2015)). Martinez also acknowledges that United States 

v. Turrieta, 875 F.3d 1340 (10th Cir. 2017) clearly held that “convictions [under New 

Mexico law] for residential burglary match the generic form of burglary. Therefore, 

these convictions fit the Enumerated-Offense Clause. In light of the applicability of 

this clause, the ACCA applied independently of the Residual Clause.” Id. at 1347; 

see also Aplt. Br. at 7. While an intervening Supreme Court decision or an 

intervening state court ruling could provide support for our questioning or overruling 

Turrieta, Martinez provides neither. Instead, he argues only that Turrieta

“misconstrued New Mexico law.” Aplt. Br. at 7. Even if this were true, Turrieta

remains controlling: a conviction for residential burglary under New Mexico law 

constitutes a violent felony for purposes of the ACCA. 

Similarly, we have very recently1

 held that a conviction for robbery under New 

Mexico law is a violent felony. See United States v. Manzanares, No. 18-2010, slip 

op. at 7 (April 17, 2020); see also United States v. Velasquez, No. 17-2150, slip op. 

at 9 (April 21, 2020). We are bound by Manzanares, and we agree with its holding: a 

1

 As is clear from the date in the citation, Manzanares was decided only a few 

days before Martinez’s case. 
4 

robbery conviction under New Mexico law qualifies as a violent felony. See also 

Wankier v. Crown Equip. Corp., 353 F.3d 862, 866 (10th Cir. 2003) (“[W]hen a panel of 

this Court has rendered a decision interpreting state law, that interpretation is binding on . 

. . subsequent panels of this Court, unless an intervening decision of the state’s highest 

court has resolved the issue.”). 

As all of Martinez’s predicate crimes are violent felonies as defined by the 

ACCA, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED. 

Entered for the Court 

Mary Beck Briscoe 

Circuit Judge