United States v. Macias-Ortiz
United States v. Macias-Ortiz
Opinion of the Court
ON REMAND FROM THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
This matter is before us on remand from the United States Supreme Court for reconsideration in light of its recent opinion in United States v. Booker.
Macias-Ortiz pled guilty to and was convicted of being in the United States unlawfully following deportation, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. This offense carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment. Macias-Ortiz had a prior felony conviction for drug trafficking, which under § 1326(b) triggered an increase in the statutory maximum term of imprisonment. The district court imposed a sentence of 57 months’ imprisonment. Macias-Ortiz objected to the sentence on the ground that it exceeded the statutory maximum, which objection the district court overruled.
Macias-Ortiz appealed his conviction and sentence, arguing that because the indictment did not state a § 1326(b) offense because it did not allege a prior conviction, his sentence exceeded the statutory maximum in violation of his constitutional due process rights. In his brief on appeal Macias-Ortiz acknowledged that his arguments were foreclosed by precedent, but raised them only to preserve them for possible review by the Supreme Court. We affirmed the conviction and sentence in an unpublished opinion.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Standard of Review
Macias-Ortiz raised his Booker claim for the first time in his supplemental petition for certiorari. Therefore, we will not review his Booker claim absent “extraordinary circumstances.”
Under plain error review, we will not remand for resentencing unless there is “(1) error, (2) that is plain, and (3) that affects substantial rights.”
B. Merits
In his supplemental letter brief, Macias-Ortiz concedes that “the district judge made no particular remarks disagreeing with the requirements of the mandatory guidelines,” or otherwise indicating that she would have sentenced him differently under an advisory Guidelines scheme. Instead, Macias-Ortiz suggests that “the circumstances of the case, particularly the district court’s imposition of the lowest possible guideline sentence, support a reasonable probability that a lower sentence would have been imposed under an advisory guideline regime.”
As Macias-Ortiz acknowledges in his letter brief, in United States v. Bringier
Macias-Ortiz next expresses his disagreement with our application of the plain error standard, as articulated in Mares, in order to preserve a challenge for possible Supreme Court review. He urges us to abandon our approach and instead apply that of the Fourth Circuit.
As Macias-Ortiz has failed to satisfy plain error review, we do not reach his argument that error in his sentencing seriously affected the fairness, integrity and public reputation of the proceedings.
III. CONCLUSION
As there exist no extraordinary circumstances or other grounds for relief, Macias-Ortiz’s sentence is AFFIRMED. The Government’s motion to reinstate our prior affirmance is DENIED as moot.
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.
. 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005).
. United States v. Macias-Ortiz, 110 Fed. Appx. 427 (5th Cir. 2004) (unpublished opinion).
. United States v. Taylor, 409 F.3d 675, 676 (5th Cir. 2005).
. Id.
. Id.
. United States v. Cotton, 535 U.S. 625, 631, 122 S.Ct. 1781, 152 L.Ed.2d 860 (2002).
. Id.
. United States v. Mares, 402 F.3d 511, 521 (5th Cir. 2005).
. Id. (quoting United States v. Dominguez Benitez, 542 U.S. 74, 124 S.Ct. 2333, 159 L.Ed.2d 157 (2004)).
. Id. at 522.
. 405 F.3d 310 (5th Cir. 2005).
. 405 F.3d at 318 n. 4 (citing Mares, 402 F.3d at 521-22).
. See United States v. Hughes, 401 F.3d 540, 555 (4th Cir. 2005).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.