87 F. App'x 395

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Marvin Steven FLORES-BENITEZ, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 03-40293.

Conference Calendar.

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

Feb. 18, 2004.

James Lee Turner, Assistant US Attorney, Jeffery Alan Babcock, US Attorney’s Office, Houston, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee.

*396Roland E Dahlin, II, Federal Public Defender, Molly E Odom, Carlos M Alaniz, Federal Public Defender’s Office, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.

Before HIGGINBOTHAM, EMILIO M. GARZA, and PRADO, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM.*

Marvin Steven Flores-Benitez appeals the sentence he received following his guilty-plea conviction for illegally reentering the United States after deportation subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. He argues, for the first time on appeal, that the sentencing provisions of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) and (b)(2) are unconstitutional in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000). He concedes that this argument is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998), but he seeks to preserve the issue for Supreme Court review.

Apprendi did not overrule Almendarez-Torres. See Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 489-90, 120 S.Ct. 2348; United States v. Dabeit, 231 F.3d 979, 984 (5th Cir.2000). This court must follow the precedent set in Almendarez-Torres “unless and until the Supreme Court itself determines to overrule it.” Dabeit, 231 F.3d at 984 (internal quotation and citation omitted).

AFFIRMED.

United States v. Flores-Benitez
87 F. App'x 395

Case Details

Name
United States v. Flores-Benitez
Decision Date
Feb 18, 2004
Citations

87 F. App'x 395

Jurisdiction
United States

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