Court Opinion

ID: 9945622
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-28 01:00:33.226417+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:25:34.796903
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-50679            Document: 45-1         Page: 1      Date Filed: 02/27/2024

           United States Court of Appeals
                for the Fifth Circuit
                                   ____________                                United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                        Fifth Circuit

                                    No. 23-50679
                                                                                      FILED
                                                                               February 27, 2024
                                  Summary Calendar
                                  ____________                                     Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                        Clerk
United States of America,

                                                                    Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                          versus

Victor Valdez-Sandoval,

                                            Defendant—Appellant.
                   ______________________________

                   Appeal from the United States District Court
                        for the Western District of Texas
                            USDC No. 4:23-CR-226-1
                   ______________________________

Before Jolly, Engelhardt, and Douglas, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam: *
       Victor Valdez-Sandoval appeals his 21-month, within-guidelines
range sentence for illegal entry following deportation, see 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a)
& (b)(1), contending that the sentence violates Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530
U.S. 466 (2000), because he was subject to an enhanced ten-year statutory
maximum sentence based on a fact—his prior conviction for a felony

       _____________________
       *
           This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-50679       Document: 45-1      Page: 2    Date Filed: 02/27/2024

                                No. 23-50679

offense—that was neither pleaded in the indictment nor found by a jury
beyond a reasonable doubt or admitted by him in pleading guilty. Valdez-
Sandoval concedes that this issue is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v.
United States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998), and that he seeks only to preserve the
issue for possible Supreme Court review.        Accordingly, he moves for
summary disposition. The Government does not oppose the motion.
      The parties are correct that Valdez-Sandoval’s argument is clearly
foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres. See United States v. Pervis, 937 F.3d 546,
553-54 (5th Cir. 2019); United States v. Wallace, 759 F.3d 486, 497 (5th Cir.
2014). Therefore, “there can be no substantial question as to the outcome of
the case,” Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir.
1969), and summary disposition is proper. Accordingly, Valdez-Sandoval’s
motion for summary disposition is GRANTED, and the judgment is
AFFIRMED.

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