Court Opinion

ID: 9838531
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-06 18:01:25.90268+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:37.687572
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-10043         Document: 00516884944             Page: 1      Date Filed: 09/06/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ____________
                                                                                United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                         Fifth Circuit
                                       No. 23-10043
                                     Summary Calendar                                  FILED
                                     ____________                              September 6, 2023
                                                                                  Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                           Clerk

                                                                       Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                             versus

   Jorge Alberto Spears, Jr.

                                               Defendant—Appellant.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                          for the Northern District of Texas
                               USDC No. 4:22-CR-194-6
                      ______________________________

   Before Willett, Duncan, and Wilson, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          Jorge Alberto Spears, Jr., pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea
   agreement, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, and
   he was sentenced to 151 months of imprisonment and three years of
   supervised release. In the plea agreement, Spears waived his right to appeal
   his conviction and sentence, with certain limited exceptions.

          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-10043      Document: 00516884944           Page: 2    Date Filed: 09/06/2023

                                     No. 23-10043

          In this direct appeal from that sentence, Spears argues that the
   magistrate judge who conducted his plea colloquy did not comply with
   Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(b)(1)(N). That rule requires that,
   before accepting a plea of guilty, a court must “inform the defendant of, and
   determine that the defendant understands . . . the terms of any plea-
   agreement provision waiving the right to appeal . . . the sentence.” Id.
   Because Spears did not raise this objection in the district court, our review is
   for plain error. See United States v. Oliver, 630 F.3d 397, 411 (5th Cir. 2011).
          The record reflects that the plea colloquy was sufficient to ensure that
   Spears understood the terms of the appeal waiver in accordance with Rule
   11(b)(1)(N), and that the appeal waiver was knowing and voluntary. See id. at
   411–12; United States v. McKinney, 406 F.3d 744, 746 (5th Cir. 2005).
          The magistrate judge specifically advised Spears that the plea
   agreement “contains a waiver of your right to appeal except under certain
   limited circumstances.” Following that admonishment, the magistrate judge
   confirmed that Spears had read and understood the appeal waiver provision
   and that he knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal as set forth
   in that provision. The magistrate judge also confirmed that Spears had read
   and understood the plea agreement prior to signing it. Moreover, the
   magistrate judge asked Spears if he had any questions about the information
   covered in the colloquy, and Spears said that he did not. Under these
   circumstances, Spears has not demonstrated any plain error with respect to
   the plea colloquy. See Oliver, 630 F.3d at 411–12.
          AFFIRMED.

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