Filed: Sep. 23, 2020
Latest Update: Sep. 23, 2020
Summary: Case: 20-50212 Document: 00515575444 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/23/2020 United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED September 23, 2020 No. 20-50212 Summary Calendar Lyle W. Cayce Clerk United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Samuel Zubia-Olivas, Defendant—Appellant, consolidated with _ No. 20-50228 _ United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Samuel Zubia-Olivas, also known as Juan Zubias-Sanchez, also known as Samuel
Summary: Case: 20-50212 Document: 00515575444 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/23/2020 United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit FILED September 23, 2020 No. 20-50212 Summary Calendar Lyle W. Cayce Clerk United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Samuel Zubia-Olivas, Defendant—Appellant, consolidated with _ No. 20-50228 _ United States of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, versus Samuel Zubia-Olivas, also known as Juan Zubias-Sanchez, also known as Samuel ..
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Case: 20-50212 Document: 00515575444 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/23/2020
United States Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
FILED
September 23, 2020
No. 20-50212
Summary Calendar Lyle W. Cayce
Clerk
United States of America,
Plaintiff—Appellee,
versus
Samuel Zubia-Olivas,
Defendant—Appellant,
consolidated with
_____________
No. 20-50228
_____________
United States of America,
Plaintiff—Appellee,
versus
Samuel Zubia-Olivas, also known as Juan Zubias-Sanchez,
also known as Samuel Olivas Zubia, also known as Samuel
Olivas-Zubia, also known as Samuel Zubia Olivas, also known as
Samuel Olivias Zubias,
Defendant—Appellant.
Case: 20-50212 Document: 00515575444 Page: 2 Date Filed: 09/23/2020
No. 20-50212
c/w No. 20-50228
Appeals from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Texas
USDC No. 7:16-CR-90-1
USDC No. 4:19-CR-747-1
Before Haynes, Willett, and Ho, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam:*
Samuel Zubia-Olivas appeals his Guidelines sentence of 96 months of
imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release following his guilty plea
conviction for illegal reentry. He argues that the enhancement of his sentence
under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1), which increases the maximum term of
imprisonment to ten years, is unconstitutional because the statute treats a
prior conviction as a sentencing factor, rather than as an element of a separate
offense that must be listed in the indictment and proved to a jury beyond a
reasonable doubt. He concedes that this issue is foreclosed by Almendarez-
Torres v. United States,
523 U.S. 224 (1998). However, he seeks to preserve
the issue for possible Supreme Court review because, he argues, subsequent
decisions indicate that the Supreme Court may reconsider its holding in
Almendarez-Torres.
In
Almendarez-Torres, 523 U.S. at 239–47, the Supreme Court held
that for purposes of a statutory sentencing enhancement, a prior conviction
is not a fact that must be alleged in an indictment or found by a jury beyond a
reasonable doubt. This Court has held that subsequent Supreme Court
decisions did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See United States v. Wallace,
759 F.3d 486, 497 (5th Cir. 2014) (concluding that Alleyne v. United States,
570 U.S. 99 (2013) did not disturb Almendarez-Torres); United States v. Rojas-
*
Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 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 Circuit Rule 47.5.4.
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Case: 20-50212 Document: 00515575444 Page: 3 Date Filed: 09/23/2020
No. 20-50212
c/w No. 20-50228
Luna,
522 F.3d 502, 505 (5th Cir. 2008) (concluding Apprendi v. New Jersey,
530 U.S. 466 (2000), did not affect the treatment of prior convictions under
Almendarez-Torres). Thus, Zubia-Olivas’s argument is foreclosed.
Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED, the
Government’s motion for summary affirmance is GRANTED, and the
Government’s alternative motion for an extension of time to file a brief is
DENIED AS MOOT.
3