United States v. Allan Cabrera-Ruiz

132 F. App'x 288
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedMay 20, 2005
Docket04-13829; D.C. Docket 03-60289-CR-KAM
StatusUnpublished

This text of 132 F. App'x 288 (United States v. Allan Cabrera-Ruiz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Allan Cabrera-Ruiz, 132 F. App'x 288 (11th Cir. 2005).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Allan Cabrera-Ruiz appeals his sentence for illegal reentry into the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(2). Cabrera-Ruiz asserts the district court erred in (1) enhancing his sentence based on facts not alleged in the indictment or found by the jury, and (2) determining his state court conviction for delivery of cannabis was an aggravated felony. The Government cross-appeals, contending the district court erred in determining Cabrera-Ruiz’s prior drug trafficking conviction was the only prior conviction that could be used to support a sentencing enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(l). We vacate and remand for resentencing.

*290 I. DISCUSSION

A. Enhancement Issues

Cabrera-Ruiz asserts his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights were violated, pursuant to Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004), when the district court enhanced his sentence based on facts neither charged in the indictment nor found by a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Because Cabrera-Ruiz argued in his objections to the PSI and at sentencing that the district court violated his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights under Blakely, he raised a timely constitutional objection and is entitled to preserved error review. See United States v. Candelario, 240 F.3d 1300, 1306 (11th Cir.2001). We review preserved constitutional errors de novo, but “will reverse only for harmful error.” See United States v. Sanchez, 269 F.3d 1250, 1272 (11th Cir.2001) (en banc).

1. Statutory Enhancement

8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2) provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for illegal reentry if a defendant was deported subsequent to being convicted of an aggravated felony. On the other hand, a defendant who was not deported subsequent to being convicted of an aggravated felony, and who does not satisfy any of the other requirements justifying an enhanced penalty under § 1326(b), is subject to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment. 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). Cabrera-Ruiz argues his prior aggravated felony conviction, which subjected him to the enhanced sentence of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2), was neither alleged in the indictment nor proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt, thus violating the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.

The Supreme Court determined an indictment in an illegal reentry case does not have to allege a defendant’s prior aggravated felony conviction for a court to impose an enhanced sentence under § 1326(b). Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 1232-33, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998). Here, the indictment charged Cabrera-Ruiz with illegal reentry after deportation, without alleging the fact he previously had been deported following a conviction for an aggravated felony. 1 However, the indictment does not have to allege a defendant’s prior aggravated-felony conviction for a court to impose an enhanced sentence under § 1326(b)(2). See id. Accordingly, the district court did not err when it imposed a statutory sentence above the two-year statutory maximum sentence for § 1326(a) offenses.

2. Guidelines Enhancement

Further, Cabrera-Ruiz claims the court violated his constitutional rights by sentencing him under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(l)(B) because the conviction the court relied on in imposing this enhancement was neither alleged in the indictment nor proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(l)(B) provides “[i]f the defendant previously was deported, or unlawfully remained in the United States after — a conviction for a felony drug trafficking offense for which the sentence imposed was 13 months or less,” the base offense level is increased 12 levels. ■

Subsequent to the parties filing their briefs in this appeal, the Supreme Court concluded its holding in Blakely applied to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. United States v. Booker, — U.S. -, 125 S.Ct. 738, 755, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005). In discussing this holding, however, the Court *291 reaffirmed its holding in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), that “[a]ny fact (other than a prior conviction) which is necessary to support a sentence exceeding the maximum authorized by the facts established by a plea of guilty or a jury verdict must be admitted by the defendant or proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.” Booker, 125 S.Ct. at 756.

Accordingly, insofar as the district court’s enhancement of Cabrera-Ruiz’s sentence under § 2L1.2(b)(l)(B) merely involved a determination that Cabrera-Ruiz had prior convictions, the enhancement did not implicate Apprendi, Blakely, or Booker, as those cases exempt prior convictions from the types of facts that must be admitted by the defendant or proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt in order to support a sentence enhancement.

There is a potential Booker error in this case, however, because the district court sentenced Cabrera-Ruiz under a mandatory Guidelines system. See United States v. Skelton, 400 F.3d 1325, 1330-31 (2005) (“[T]he Supreme Court has now excised the mandatory nature of the Guidelines in Booker. Thus, we conclude it was Booker error for the district court to sentence Shelton under a mandatory Guidelines scheme, even in the absence of a Sixth Amendment enhancement violation.”). Because this case is being vacated and remanded for resentencing on another issue, however, we do not address this issue.

B. Aggravated Felony

Cabrera-Ruiz next contends the district court erred in determining his conviction for delivery of cannabis was an aggravated felony. We review de novo the district court’s interpretation of the Sentencing Guidelines. United States v. Simon, 168 F.3d 1271, 1272 (11th Cir.l999).

A defendant who was removed subsequent to a conviction for an aggravated felony is subject to a 20-year statutory maximum sentence. 8 U.S.C.

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Related

United States v. Lazo-Ortiz
136 F.3d 1282 (Eleventh Circuit, 1998)
United States v. Simon
168 F.3d 1271 (Eleventh Circuit, 1999)
United States v. Terrance Shelton
400 F.3d 1325 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
Almendarez-Torres v. United States
523 U.S. 224 (Supreme Court, 1998)
Apprendi v. New Jersey
530 U.S. 466 (Supreme Court, 2000)
Blakely v. Washington
542 U.S. 296 (Supreme Court, 2004)
United States v. Booker
543 U.S. 220 (Supreme Court, 2004)
United States v. Jose Manuel Candelario
240 F.3d 1300 (Eleventh Circuit, 2001)
Parker v. State
406 So. 2d 1089 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
132 F. App'x 288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-allan-cabrera-ruiz-ca11-2005.