Court Opinion

ID: 29068
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2010-04-25 09:34:08+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:55:41.700919
License: Public Domain

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

                            No. 01-41460
                        Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                                         Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

JAVIER PENA,

                                         Defendant-Appellant.

                      --------------------
          Appeal from the United States District Court
               for the Southern District of Texas
                    USDC No. L-01-CR-864-ALL
                      --------------------
                        October 30, 2002

Before DeMOSS, BENAVIDES, and STEWART, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

     Javier Pena appeals his 30-month prison sentence, imposed

following his plea of guilty to a charge of being found in the

United States after deportation, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326.

He contends that the felony conviction that resulted in his

increased sentence under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) was an element of

the offense that should have been charged in the indictment.

     Pena acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by the

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

523 U.S. 224 (1998), but he seeks to preserve his contention for

     *
        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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 01-41460
                                -2-

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

Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000).   Apprendi, however, did not overrule

Almendarez-Torres.   See Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490; United States

v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984 (5th Cir. 2000), cert. denied,

531 U.S. 1202 (2001).   Pena’s argument is foreclosed.   The

judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.