Filed: Jun. 08, 2007
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT May 17, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-40103 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus JOSE CRUZ ANTUNA-MORAN, Defendant-Appellant. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas - Before DAVIS, BARKSDALE and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Jose Cruz Antuna-Moran appeals his guilty-plea conviction and 4
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT May 17, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-40103 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus JOSE CRUZ ANTUNA-MORAN, Defendant-Appellant. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas - Before DAVIS, BARKSDALE and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Jose Cruz Antuna-Moran appeals his guilty-plea conviction and 46..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT May 17, 2007
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 06-40103
Summary Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
JOSE CRUZ ANTUNA-MORAN,
Defendant-Appellant.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
--------------------
Before DAVIS, BARKSDALE and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Jose Cruz Antuna-Moran appeals his guilty-plea conviction
and 46-month sentence for illegally reentering the United States
after having been deported previously. Antuna-Moran argues that
the district court erred by enhancing his base offense level
pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(ii) based upon a
determination that his Texas conviction for aggravated assault of
a peace officer was a crime of violence. He also argues that the
district court’s statement that it would have sentenced him to
46 months of imprisonment, even if its guidelines calculations
were incorrect, does not render the alleged sentencing error by
the district court harmless.
No. 06-40103
-2-
Given our decision in United States v. Fierro-Reyna,
466
F.3d 324, 326, 329-30 (5th Cir. 2006), the district court erred
in enhancing Antuna-Moran’s offense level under
§ 2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(ii) based upon his prior Texas conviction for
aggravated assault on a peace officer. When a district court
misapplies the Guidelines, remand is appropriate unless this
court concludes, “on the record as a whole, that the error was
harmless, i.e., that the error did not affect the district
court’s selection of the sentence imposed.” United States v.
Davis,
478 F.3d 266, 273 (5th Cir. 2007).
Here, Antuna-Moran’s sentence was not the result of the
district court’s incorrect application of the Guidelines because
the district court stated that, even if it had miscalculated the
Guidelines, the resulting guidelines range would be unreasonably
low and that it would impose the same 46-month sentence. See
United States v. Tzep-Mejia,
461 F.3d 522, 525-26 (5th Cir.
2006). Moreover, the alternate non-guidelines sentence imposed
by the district court is reasonable considering the case-specific
factors cited by the district court. See
id. at 527-28.
Antuna-Moran also challenges the constitutionality of
8 U.S.C. § 1326(b). His constitutional challenge is foreclosed
by Almendarez-Torres v. United States,
523 U.S. 224, 235 (1998).
Although Antuna-Moran contends that Almendarez-Torres was
incorrectly decided and that a majority of the Supreme Court
would overrule Almendarez-Torres in light of Apprendi v.
No. 06-40103
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New Jersey,
530 U.S. 466 (2000), we have repeatedly rejected such
arguments on the basis that Almendarez-Torres remains binding.
See United States v. Garza-Lopez,
410 F.3d 268, 276 (5th Cir.),
cert. denied,
126 S. Ct. 298 (2005). Antuna-Moran properly
concedes that his argument is foreclosed in light of
Almendarez-Torres and circuit precedent, and that he raises it
here only to preserve it for further review.
Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is
affirmed. Antuna-Moran’s motion to expedite his appeal is
denied.
AFFIRMED; MOTION DENIED.