United States v. Arturo Castaneda-Lozoya

812 F.3d 457, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 1897, 2016 WL 456057
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 4, 2016
Docket15-40022
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 812 F.3d 457 (United States v. Arturo Castaneda-Lozoya) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth 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. Arturo Castaneda-Lozoya, 812 F.3d 457, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 1897, 2016 WL 456057 (5th Cir. 2016).

Opinion

LESLIE H. SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judge:

Arturo Castaneda-Lozoya pled guilty to illegal reentry. He had previously been convicted of a sexual assault. The district court determined this prior conviction subjected Castaneda to a 20-year statutory maximum sentence. Castaneda appeals, challenging the district court’s determination. We AFFIRM.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Castaneda is a Mexican citizen. He and his parents entered the United States without inspection when he was a child. In November 2005, he was convicted in Texas of felony sexual assault and was sentenced to seven years of deferred adjudication probation. Castaneda was deported to Mexico a year later. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, however, encountered Castaneda in Texas in June 2014. Castaneda admitted he illegally returned to the United States in March 2007. He pled guilty to illegal reentry.

Castaneda’s base offense level was eight pursuant to Section 2L1.2(a) of the Sentencing Guidelines. He received a 16-level increase for being previously deported after a conviction for a “crime of violence” under Section 2L1.2(b)(l)(A)(ii), as a result of his 2005 Texas conviction for sexual assault. After a three-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility, his total offense level was 21. Castaneda had three criminal history points, placing him in criminal history category II. Therefore, with a total offense level of 21 and a criminal history category of II, Castaneda’s range according to the Guidelines was 41 to 51 months. The district court also determined that his earlier deportation was after conviction for an aggravated felony, which meant the statutory maximum for his new offense was 20 years. See 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2). The district court sentenced Castaneda to 41 months, followed by three years of supervised release.

*459 Castaneda filed a timely notice of appeal, arguing the district court’s determination that he had a prior aggravated felony conviction was in error.

DISCUSSION

The statutory maximum that was applied to Castaneda states that when an alien “whose removal was subsequent to a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony, such alien shall be fined under such title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2). An aggravated felony is, among other things, “a crime of violence ... for which the term of imprisonment [is] at least one year.” Id. § 1101(a)(43)(F). Castaneda argues that because he was sentenced to seven years of deferred adjudication probation for his pre-deportation offense, he was not imprisoned for at least one year. Therefore, his prior Texas conviction was not an aggravated felony, precluding application of the 20-year statutory maximum. Castaneda argues, instead, that he is subject only to a ten-year statutory maximum. See id. § 1326(b)(1). He contends that even though he was sentenced only to 41 months of incarceration, the statutory maximum could have influenced the district court’s sentence.

We review the district court’s interpretation and application of the Guidelines de novo, and its factual findings for clear error. United States v. CisnerosGutierrez, 517 F.3d 751, 764 (5th Cir.2008). If an argument is raised for the first time on appeal, we review for plain error. United States v. Duque-Hernandez, 710 F.3d 296, 298 (5th Cir.2013). Castaneda claims he made the objection concerning aggravated felonies, and therefore de novo, not plain error, review applies. Castaneda objected on the basis that his Texas conviction did not fit within the definition of a “crime of violence” under Section 1101(a)(43)(F). That is, the elements of the Texas conviction did not track the federal definition of “crime of violence.” On appeal, he argues that Section 1101(a)(43)(F) does not apply because he was not imprisoned for at least one year. Thus, while Castaneda stated an objection based on Section 1101(a)(43)(F), he did so on different grounds. That is insufficient to preserve the issue. See United States v. Juarez, 626 F.3d 246, 253-54 (5th Cir.2010).

Plain error review therefore applies. Under plain error review: (1) “there must be an error or defect ... that has not been intentionally relinquished or abandoned”; (2) “the legal error must be clear or obvious, rather than subject to reasonable dispute”; (3) “the error must have affected the appellant’s substantial rights”; and (4) “if the above three prongs are satisfied, [we have] the discretion to remedy the error — discretion which ought to be exercised only if the error ‘seriously offectjs] the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.’ ” Puckett v. United States, 556 U.S. 129, 135, 129 S.Ct. 1423, 173 L.Ed.2d 266 (2009) (alternation in original) (emphasis added).

We start our review with a concession by the Government. It agrees with Castaneda that the district court erred in analyzing whether the prior conviction was for an aggravated felony. The category of “aggravated felony” considered by the district court was that of a crime of violence for which the term of imprisonment actually received was at least one year. See 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(F); United States v. Landeros-Arreola, 260 F.3d 407, 410 (5th Cir.2001) (“[T]he enhancement does not apply ‘when a defendant is directly sentenced to probation.’ ”). Castaneda received only deferred adjudication probation, and not a prison sentence.

*460 As an alternative, the Government argues the Texas conviction should be considered rape, which is another category of aggravated felony. We may affirm on any ground supported by the record. United States v. Jackson, 453 F.3d 302, 308 n. 11 (5th Cir.2006).

To determine whether Castaneda’s offense can be categorized as rape under federal law, we would need to examine the Texas statute under which he was convicted and compare it to the federal statutory definition of rape. See Perez-Gonzalez v. Holder, 667 F.3d 622, 625 (5th Cir.2012). The Texas statute contains alternative means of committing the offense, some of which likely would not be rape under the federal definition. See Tex. - Penal Code Ann. § 22.011. When a statute contains alternative methods for commission of the offense, some of which would not be an aggravated felony, we apply what is called the modified categorical approach.

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Bluebook (online)
812 F.3d 457, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 1897, 2016 WL 456057, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-arturo-castaneda-lozoya-ca5-2016.