Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Robert HOPES, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2017-07-13
Citations: 693 F. App'x 337
Docket Number: No. 16-51377 Summary Calendar
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Robert HOPES, Defendant-Appellant
Judges: Before HIGGINBOTHAM, PRADO, and HAYNES, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 693
Pages: 337–338

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Robert HOPES, Defendant-Appellant
No. 16-51377 Summary Calendar
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
Filed July 13, 2017
Joseph H. Gay, Jr;, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas, San Antonio, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee
Laura G. Greenberg, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Maureen Scott Franco, Federal Public Defender, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Western District of Texas, San Antonio, TX, for Defendant-Appellant
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, PRADO, and HAYNES, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Robert Hopes appeals following his guilty plea conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He relies on United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549, 115 S.Ct. 1624, 131 L.Ed.2d 626 (1995), to argue that § 922(g)(1) unconstitutionally extends the reach of the Commerce Clause to the mere non-commercial possession of a firearm. Hopes contends that a felon's possession of a firearm, like possession of a firearm near a school, the offense at issue in Lopez, does not have a substantial effect on interstate commerce. He concedes, however, that his argument is foreclosed by circuit precedent, and he raises the issue to preserve it for Supreme Court review.
The Government has filed an unopposed motion for summary affirmance; in the alternative, it requests an extension of time to file its brief. The Government asserts that the parties are in agreement that, under circuit precedent, Hopes's challenge to the constitutionality of § 922(g) is foreclosed. Summary affirmance is proper where, among other instances, "the posi tion of one of the parties is clearly right as a matter of law so that there can be no substantial question as to the outcome of the case." Groendyke Tramp., Inc. v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir. 1969).
"This court has repeatedly emphasized that the constitutionality of § 922(g)(1) is not open to question." United States v. De Leon, 170 F.3d 494, 499 (5th Cir. 1999); see also United States v. Alcantar, 733 F.3d 143, 146 (5th Cir. 2013). In United States v. Rawls, 85 F.3d 240, 242 (5th Cir. 1996), we rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of § 922(g)(1) on the basis that neither the holding nor the reasoning in Lopez constitutionally invalidates § 922(g)(1).
In view of the foregoing, the Government's motion for Summary affirmance is GRANTED. The Government's alternative motion for an extension of time to file a brief is DENIED. The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
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.