Court Opinion

ID: 26724
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2010-04-25 08:58:24+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:37:59.643189
License: Public Domain

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

                             No. 01-10867
                         Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                                          Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

JUAN JOSE LUNA-PINA,

                                          Defendant-Appellant.

                        --------------------
           Appeal from the United States District Court
                for the Northern District of Texas
                     USDC No. 4:00-CR-290-1-Y
                        --------------------
                          February 21, 2002

Before JOLLY, JONES, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

     Juan Jose Luna-Pina appeals his guilty plea conviction of

being found in the United States after deportation in violation

of 8 U.S.C. § 1326.    He argues that his guilty plea was rendered

involuntary by the district court’s failure to advise him during

the plea colloquy that a prior aggravated felony conviction is an

element of the offense under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) which the

Government would have to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable

doubt.   Luna-Pina acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by

the Supreme Court’s decision in Almendarez-Torres v. United

     *
        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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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.
                          No. 01-10867
                                -2-

States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998), but seeks to preserve the issue for

Supreme Court review in light of the decision in Apprendi v. New

Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000).

     Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres.   See Apprendi,

530 U.S. at 489-90; United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984

(5th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 531 U.S. 1202 (2001).   Luna-Pina’s

argument is foreclosed.   The judgment of the district court is

AFFIRMED.

     In lieu of filing an appellee’s brief, the Government has

filed a motion asking this court to dismiss this appeal or, in

the alternative, to summarily affirm the district court’s

judgment.   The Government’s motion to dismiss is DENIED.   The

motion for summary affirmance is GRANTED.   The Government need

not file an appellee’s brief.

     AFFIRMED; MOTION TO DISMISS DENIED; MOTION FOR SUMMARY
     AFFIRMANCE GRANTED.