Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Francisco MERAZ-LARES, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2006-10-24
Citations: 204 F. App'x 352
Docket Number: No. 06-40082
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Francisco MERAZ-LARES, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 204
Pages: 352–353

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Francisco MERAZ-LARES, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 06-40082
Conference Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
Oct. 24, 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, Southern District of Texas, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.
Before JOLLY, DeMOSS, and STEWART, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
Francisco Meraz-Lares (Meraz) pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with being found illegally in the United States following a previous deportation. Meraz contends that the "felony" and "aggravated felony" provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) & (2) are unconstitutional, in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), because those provisions treat prior convictions as sentencing factors rather than elements of an offense. The Government contends that Meraz waived the right to assert this question in his plea agreement. We assume, arguendo only, that the waiver does not bar the instant appeal.
Meraz' constitutional challenge is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998). Although he contends that Almendarez-Torres was incorrectly decided and that a majority of the Supreme Court would overrule Almenda rez-Torres in light of Apprendi, we have repeatedly rejected such arguments on the basis that Almendarez-Torres 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). Meraz properly concedes that his argument is foreclosed in light of Almendarez-Torres 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Pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Cir R. 47.5.4.