62 F. App'x 196

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, v. Juan RUIZ-GONZALEZ, Defendant—Appellant.

No. 01-50727.

D.C. No. CR-01-00041-VAP-1.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Submitted April 7, 2003.*

Decided April 25, 2003.

Before BEEZER, FERNANDEZ, and PAEZ, Circuit Judges.

MEMORANDUM**

Juan Ruiz-Gonzalez challenges the constitutionality of his conviction and sentence under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2). Ruiz-Gonzalez contends that we violate due process when we authorize the district court, rather than a jury, to determine that Ruiz-Gonzalez was convicted of an aggravated felony prior to re-entering the United States. See 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) (raising the maximum sentence from two years to 20 years where the re-entering alien was removed after conviction for an aggravated felony). The Supreme Court rejected this argument in Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 239, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998).

*197Ruiz-Gonzalez argues that we are not bound by Almendarez-Torres because the Supreme Court’s decision in Ring v. Arizona, 586 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556 (2002) “implicitly overruled” Almendarez-Torres. We are bound, however, by Almendarez-Torres unless and until Almendarez-Torres is expressly overruled by the Supreme Court. United States v. Pacheco-Zepeda, 234 F.3d 411, 411 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 966, 121 S.Ct. 1503, 149 L.Ed.2d 388 (2001). Ring does not purport to expressly overrule Almendarez-Torres. See 536 U.S. at -, 122 S.Ct. at 2437 n.4.

The judgment is AFFIRMED.

United States v. Ruiz-Gonzalez
62 F. App'x 196

Case Details

Name
United States v. Ruiz-Gonzalez
Decision Date
Apr 25, 2003
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62 F. App'x 196

Jurisdiction
United States

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