Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Sixto Rodriguez RODRIGUEZ, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2003-08-20
Citations: 71 F. App'x 403
Docket Number: No. 03-40148
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Sixto Rodriguez RODRIGUEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before JONES, WIENER, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 71
Pages: 403–403

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Sixto Rodriguez RODRIGUEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 03-40148.
Conference Calendar
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
Aug. 20, 2003.
Before JONES, WIENER, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Sixto Rodriguez Rodriguez appeals his guilty plea conviction for illegal reentry into the United States following deportation. He argues that 8 U.S.C. 1326(b), the statute under which he was convicted and sentenced, is unconstitutional on its face and as applied in his case in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000). However, Rodriguez concedes that his argument is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 118 S.Ct. 1219,140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998), but wishes to preserve the issue for further review by the Supreme Court.
Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 489-90, 120 S.Ct. 2348; see also United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984 (5th Cir.2000). This court therefore must follow Almendarez-Torres "unless and until the Supreme Court itself determines to overrule it." Dabeit, 231 F.3d at 984 (internal quotation and citation omitted). Rodriguez's argument is -without merit.
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Pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Cir. R. 47.5.4.