Court Opinion

ID: 9399138
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-06-02 00:00:47.681931+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:39.002857
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-50512         Document: 00516771755             Page: 1      Date Filed: 06/01/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ____________
                                                                                United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                         Fifth Circuit
                                       No. 22-50512
                                     Summary Calendar                                   FILED
                                     ____________                                     June 1, 2023
                                                                                  Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                           Clerk

                                                                       Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                             versus

   Roman Alvarado, Jr.,

                                               Defendant—Appellant.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                           for the Western District of Texas
                                USDC No. 7:22-CR-22-1
                      ______________________________

   Before Stewart, Dennis, and Willett, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          Ramon Alvarado, Jr., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to
   distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual
   methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 and 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
   and (b)(1)(A).        The district court sentenced him to 180 months of
   imprisonment and five years of supervised release.

          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-50512       Document: 00516771755           Page: 2   Date Filed: 06/01/2023

                                      No. 22-50512

          For the first time on appeal, Alvarado challenges the condition of his
   supervised release which provides that, if the probation officer determines
   that Alvarado presents a risk to another person, the probation officer may
   require Alvarado to notify the person of that risk and may contact the person
   to confirm that notification occurred. Alvarado contends that this condition
   constitutes an improper delegation of judicial authority to the probation
   officer. He concedes that his argument is foreclosed by our recent decision
   in United States v. Mejia-Banegas, 32 F.4th 450 (5th Cir. 2022), but he raises
   the issue to preserve it for further review. The Government has filed an
   unopposed motion for summary affirmance, asserting that Alvarado’s claim
   is foreclosed by Mejia-Banegas. In the alternative, the Government requests
   an extension of time to file its brief.
          We held in Mejia-Banegas that such a risk-notification condition did
   not impermissibly delegate judicial authority, plainly or otherwise. 32 F.4th
   at 451-52. The parties are thus correct that the issue is foreclosed, and the
   Government is correct that summary affirmance is appropriate.              See
   Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir. 1969). The
   Government’s motion for summary affirmance is GRANTED, the district
   court’s judgment is AFFIRMED, and the Government’s alternative
   motion for an extension of time to file a brief is DENIED.

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