Court Opinion

ID: 9365078
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-21 01:00:25.034755+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:43.196872
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-50729         Document: 00516618482             Page: 1      Date Filed: 01/20/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ____________
                                                                               United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                        Fifth Circuit
                                       No. 22-50729
                                     Summary Calendar                                 FILED
                                     ____________                               January 20, 2023
                                                                                 Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                          Clerk

                                                                      Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                             versus

   Trinidad Walter Encarnacion-Pascual,

                                               Defendant—Appellant.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                           for the Western District of Texas
                               USDC No. 4:22-CR-142-1
                      ______________________________

   Before Wiener, Elrod, and Engelhardt, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          Trinidad Walter Encarnacion-Pascual appeals his conviction and
   sentence for illegal reentry after removal in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a)
   and (b)(2). He contends that the enhancement of his sentence pursuant to
   § 1326(b) was unconstitutional because the fact of his prior conviction, which
   increased his statutory maximum, was treated as a sentencing factor, rather
   than as an element of the offense. He has filed an unopposed motion for
          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-50729      Document: 00516618482          Page: 2   Date Filed: 01/20/2023

                                    No. 22-50729

   summary disposition and a letter brief explaining that he has raised this issue
   only to preserve it for further review and conceding correctly that this issue
   is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998). See
   United States v. Pervis, 937 F.3d 546, 553-54 (5th Cir. 2019). Because
   summary disposition is appropriate, see Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406
   F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir. 1969), Encarnacion-Pascual’s motion is
   GRANTED, and the district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.

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