Opinion ID: 48263
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: standard of review

Text: Having timely objected, Pantoja-Arellano’s, Dehuma- 13 Suarez’s,17 and Cruz-Martinez’s claims are reviewed for harmless error.18 Under harmless error review, “[a]ny error, defect, irregularity, or variance that does not affect substantial rights must be disregarded.”19 An error affects substantial rights if it affects the outcome of the trial proceedings; conversely, an error is harmless if it does not affect the outcome of the district court proceedings.20 A sentencing error will be considered harmless if the government can establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the district court would have imposed the same sentence absent the error.21 In contrast, we review the claims of Mejia-Huerta, Estrada, and Craddock for plain error, as they failed timely to object to the district court.22 Under plain error review, we may exercise 17 It is questionable whether Dehuma-Suarez timely raised an objection to his sentence, thus implicating the standard of review we apply to his claim. Dehuma-Suarez failed to raise a contemporaneous objection during his sentencing hearing, but filed a written objection later that same day. His actions may not have been sufficient to constitute a timely objection, but because his claim fails under both harmless error and plain error review, we need not reach this issue. Instead, we will review Dehuma-Suarez’s claim under the more lenient harmless error standard. 18 United States v. Walters, 418 F.3d 461, 463 (5th Cir. 2005). 19 Fed. R. Crim. Proc. 52(a). 20 United States v. Akpan, 407 F.3d 360, 377 (5th Cir. 2005). 21 United States v. Pineiro, 410 F.3d 282, 286 (5th Cir. 2005). 22 United States v. Vargas-Garcia, 434 F.3d 345, 347 (5th Cir. 2005), cert. denied, 126 S. Ct. 1894 (2006). Estrada contends that 14 our discretion to correct a defendant’s sentence if there is: (1) an error; (2) that is plain; (3) that affects substantial rights; and (4) that seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.23