United States v. Del Cid-Mendez

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States v. Del Cid-Mendez, 168 F. App'x 580 (5th Cir. 2006)

United States v. Del Cid-Mendez

Opinion

PER CURIAM: *

Mariano Del Cid-Mendez appeals his conviction and sentence for illegal reentry. Del Cid challenges the constitutionality of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1), (2) and, additionally, the district court’s application of the mandatory Sentencing Guidelines.

Del Cid’s constitutional challenge is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 235, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998). Although Del Cid contends that Almendarez-Torres was incorrectly decided and that a majority of the Supreme Court would overrule Almendarez-Torres in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (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, — U.S.-, 126 S.Ct. 298, 163 L.Ed.2d 260 (2005). Del Cid properly concedes that his argument is foreclosed in light of Almendarez-Torres and circuit precedent, but he raises it here to preserve it for further review.

Del Cid also contends that the district court erred in sentencing him pursuant to the mandatory Guidelines regime held unconstitutional in United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 764-65, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005). The Government concedes that Del Cid has preserved this issue on appeal. The sentencing transcript is devoid of evidence that the district court would have imposed the same sentence under an advisory regime, and, therefore, the Government has not borne its burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that the district court’s error was harmless. See United States v. Walters, 418 F.3d 461, 464 (5th Cir. 2005). Thus, Del *582 Cid’s sentence is VACATED, and the case is REMANDED for further proceedings. See id. at 466.

*

Pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Cir. R. 47.5.4.

Reference

Full Case Name
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Mariano DEL CID-MENDEZ, Defendant-Appellant
Status
Unpublished