Court Opinion

ID: 9890962
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-17 00:00:29.261484+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:50:02.627100
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-50350         Document: 00516932846             Page: 1      Date Filed: 10/16/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                     _____________
                                                                                United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                         Fifth Circuit
                                      No. 23-50350
                                  consolidated with                                    FILED
                                      No. 23-50352                              October 16, 2023
                                    _____________                                 Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                       Clerk
   United States of America,

                                                                       Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                             versus

   Jose Castaneda-Acevedo,

                                               Defendant—Appellant.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                           for the Western District of Texas
                        USDC Nos. 4:21-CR-50-1, 4:23-CR-30-1
                      ______________________________

   Before Davis, Willett, and Oldham, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          Jose Castaneda-Acevedo appeals his conviction and sentence for
   illegal re-entry into the United States under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(1),
   was well as the revocation of his term of supervised release related to a prior
   illegal re-entry conviction. Castaneda-Acevedo does not raise any issues in
   connection with the appeal of the revocation of his term of supervised release.

          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-50350     Document: 00516932846         Page: 2    Date Filed: 10/16/2023

                                     23-50350
                                 c/w No. 23-50352

   Rather, he argues for the first time on appeal that the recidivism
   enhancement in § 1326(b) is unconstitutional because it permits a sentence
   above the otherwise-applicable statutory maximum established by § 1326(a),
   based on facts that are neither alleged in the indictment nor found by a jury
   beyond a reasonable doubt. While Castaneda-Acevedo acknowledges this
   argument is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224
   (1998), he nevertheless seeks to preserve it for possible Supreme Court
   review. In addition, Castaneda-Acevedo has filed an unopposed motion for
   summary disposition.
          This court has held that subsequent Supreme Court decisions such as
   Alleyne v. United States, 570 U.S. 99 (2013), and Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530
   U.S. 466 (2000), did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See United States v.
   Pervis, 937 F.3d 546, 553-54 (5th Cir. 2019). Thus, Castaneda-Acevedo is
   correct that his argument is foreclosed, and summary disposition is
   appropriate. See Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th
   Cir. 1969).
          Castaneda-Acevedo’s motion is GRANTED, and the judgments are
   AFFIRMED.

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