United States v. Baz-Bautista

360 F. Supp. 3d 586
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 29, 2019
DocketCause No. 1:17-CR-079-LY
StatusPublished

This text of 360 F. Supp. 3d 586 (United States v. Baz-Bautista) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Baz-Bautista, 360 F. Supp. 3d 586 (W.D. Tex. 2019).

Opinion

LEE YEAKEL, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the court in the above-styled and numbered cause are Defendant Urbano Baz-Bautista's Motion to Dismiss filed November 8, 2018 (Dkt. No. 19); Government's Response in Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment filed November 19, 2018 (Dkt. No. 22); Reply to Government's Response to Motion to Dismiss filed November 27, 2018 (Dkt. No. 25); Government's Notice of Supplemental Authority filed November 26, 2018 (Dkt. No. 23); and Defendant's Response to the Government's "Notice of Supplemental Authority" filed November 29, 2018 (Dkt. No. 26). On November 30, 2018, the court conducted a hearing at which all parties were represented by counsel. Having considered the motion, response, reply, attached exhibits, supplemental authority, applicable law, and the *590arguments of counsel, the court will deny the motion for the reasons to follow.

I. BACKGROUND

On February 21, 2017, Baz-Bautista was indicted on one count of illegal reentry into the United States. See 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). On May 6, 2010, while in immigration custody, Baz-Bautista, a citizen of Mexico, was served in person with a United States Department of Homeland Security form titled "Notice to Appear." The form notice states that Baz-Bautista is subject to removal because he is "an alien present in the United States who has not been admitted or paroled." The notice informed Baz-Bautista,

YOU ARE ORDERED to appear before an immigration judge of the United States Department of Justice at: 5520 Greens Road Houston TEXAS 77032, on a date to be set at a time to be set to show why you should not be removed from the United States based on the charge(s) set forth above.

The certificate-of-service portion of the notice indicates that Baz-Bautista was provided with "oral notice in the Spanish language of the time and place of his [ ] hearing and of the consequences of failure to appear." The record does not include evidence that Baz-Bautista was ever personally served with a written notice of hearing containing the time and place of the hearing, though the Government asserts that "detained inmates are generally provided with written or oral notice of the hearing."

Removal proceedings occurred on or about June 3, 2010, and "upon the basis of respondent's [Baz-Bautista's] admissions" an immigration judge ordered Baz-Bautista removed from the United States to Mexico. The order of removal, signed June 3, 2010, indicates that Baz-Bautista's custodial officer was personally served with a copy of the order the same day. Although the record does not contain a signed waiver of appeal, "Appeal: Waived" is indicated at the end of the removal order. Baz-Bautista was removed from the United States to Mexico via Laredo, Texas, on June 4, 2010.

On December 26, 2016, Baz-Bautista was found in the United States again and placed in custody, after which time he was indicted on February 21, 2017, for illegal reentry. See 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). The June 3, 2010 removal order is the basis for the instant indictment.

In order to prove illegal reentry, the Government must prove that Baz-Bautista "has been denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed or has departed the United States while an order of exclusion, deportation, or removal is outstanding." Id. The lawfulness or validity of a prior removal order is not an element of an illegal-reentry offense, and the Government need only prove the fact of a prior removal. United States v. Mendoza-Lopez , 481 U.S. 828, 834-35 & n. 9, 107 S.Ct. 2148, 95 L.Ed.2d 772 (1987). The only statutory defense available to a defendant charged with illegal reentry into the United States is a collateral attack on the defendant's prior removal order. See 8 U.S.C. § 1326(d) ('' 1326(d)").

II. LEGAL STANDARD

A criminal defendant may allege a defect in an indictment in a pretrial motion. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b)(3)(B). An indictment must contain a "plain, concise and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged." Fed. R. Crim. P. 7(c)(1). "[A] motion to dismiss an indictment for failure to state an offense is a challenge to the sufficiency of the indictment." United States v. Kay , 359 F.3d 738, 742 (5th Cir. 2004). When the court decides such a motion, it is required to "take the allegations of the indictment as true and to determine *591whether an offense has been stated." United States v. Hogue , 132 F.3d 1087, 1089 (5th Cir. 1998).

The propriety of granting a motion to dismiss an indictment ... by pretrial motion is by-and-large contingent upon whether the infirmity in the prosecution is essentially one of law or involves determinations of fact .... If a question of law is involved, then consideration of the motion is generally proper.

United States v. Fontenot , 665 F.3d 640, 644 (5th Cir. 2011) (internal citation omitted).

III. ANALYSIS

a. Did the immigration court lack jurisdiction to render removal order?

Baz-Bautista first argues that the immigration court was without jurisdiction to enter the 2010 removal order, thus, as a matter of law, the current indictment lacks a sound basis, and this prosecution cannot continue.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Benitez-Villafuerte
186 F.3d 651 (Fifth Circuit, 1999)
United States v. Lopez-Vasquez
227 F.3d 476 (Fifth Circuit, 2000)
Goonsuwan v. Ashcroft
252 F.3d 383 (Fifth Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Mendoza-Mata
322 F.3d 829 (Fifth Circuit, 2003)
United States v. Kay
359 F.3d 738 (Fifth Circuit, 2004)
Gomez-Palacios v. Holder
560 F.3d 354 (Fifth Circuit, 2009)
United States v. Cerna
603 F.3d 32 (Second Circuit, 2010)
Baldwin v. Hale
68 U.S. 223 (Supreme Court, 1864)
Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co.
339 U.S. 306 (Supreme Court, 1950)
Kwong Hai Chew v. Colding
344 U.S. 590 (Supreme Court, 1953)
Fuentes v. Shevin
407 U.S. 67 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Morrissey v. Brewer
408 U.S. 471 (Supreme Court, 1972)
United States v. Mendoza-Lopez
481 U.S. 828 (Supreme Court, 1987)
McCarthy v. Madigan
503 U.S. 140 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Arbaugh v. Y & H Corp.
546 U.S. 500 (Supreme Court, 2006)
Sousa v. Immigration & Naturalization Service
226 F.3d 28 (First Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Fontenot
665 F.3d 640 (Fifth Circuit, 2011)
United States v. Kenny Hogue and Jesse Meeks
132 F.3d 1087 (Fifth Circuit, 1998)
United States v. Maurilio Garza-Sanchez
217 F.3d 806 (Ninth Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Joel Lopez-Ortiz
313 F.3d 225 (Fifth Circuit, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
360 F. Supp. 3d 586, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-baz-bautista-txwd-2019.