Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Jaime MORIN-GARCIA, also known as Juan Morales-Garcia, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2006-02-23
Citations: 169 F. App'x 284
Docket Number: No. 05-40962
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Jaime MORIN-GARCIA, also known as Juan Morales-Garcia, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before GARZA, DENNIS, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 169
Pages: 284–285

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Jaime MORIN-GARCIA, also known as Juan Morales-Garcia, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 05-40962.
Conference Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
Decided Feb. 23, 2006.
James Lee Turner, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for PlaintiffAppellee.
Marjorie A. Meyers, Federal Public Defender, Molly E. Odom, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.
Before GARZA, DENNIS, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Jaime Morin-Garcia pleaded guilty to being found in the United States after deportation and was sentenced to 46 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Morin-Garcia argues that the felony and aggravated felony provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) and (2) are unconstitutional. Specifically, he argues that the viability of Almendarez-Tor res v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998), is in doubt in light of later Supreme Court cases such as Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), and Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13, 125 S.Ct. 1254, 161 L.Ed.2d 205 (2005). We need not decide the applicability of the waiver provisions in the plea agreement because the issue that Morin-Garcia raises is foreclosed.
Morin-Garcia's constitutional challenge is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States. Although Morin-Garcia contends that Almendarez-Torres was incorrectly decided and that a majority of the Supreme Court would overrule Almendarez-Torres in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, we have repeatedly rejected such arguments on the basis that AlmendarezTorres remains binding. See United States v. Garza-Lopez, 410 F.3d 268, 276 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 126 S.Ct. 298,163 L.Ed.2d 260 (2005). Morin-Garcia properly concedes that his argument is foreclosed in light of AlmendarezTorres and circuit precedent, but he raises it here to preserve it for further review.
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.