Court Opinion

ID: 25321
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2010-04-25 08:34:08+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:58:38.270570
License: Public Domain

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

                             No. 01-50285
                          Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

                                           Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

CARLOS MARTINEZ-ORTEGA,

                                           Defendant-Appellant.

                       --------------------
          Appeal from the United States District Court
                for the Western District of Texas
                    USDC No. EP-00-CR-1556-ALL
                       --------------------
                          August 23, 2001

Before KING, Chief Judge, and POLITZ and PARKER, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

     Carlos Martinez-Ortega appeals the 46-month term of

imprisonment imposed following his conviction of being found in

the United States after removal in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326.

Martinez-Ortega argues, for the first time on appeal, that his

sentence should not have exceeded the two-year maximum term of

imprisonment prescribed in 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a).    Martinez-Ortega

acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by the Supreme

Court’s decision in Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S.
224 (1998), but seeks to preserve the issue for Supreme Court

     *
        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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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. 01-50285
                               -2-

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, 121 S. Ct. 1214 (2001).    Martinez-

Ortega’s argument is foreclosed.    The judgment of the district

court is AFFIRMED.

     The Government has moved for a summary affirmance in lieu of

filing an appellee’s brief.   In its motion, the Government asks

that the judgment of the district court be affirmed and that an

appellee’s brief not be required.    The motion is GRANTED.

     AFFIRMED; MOTION GRANTED.