United States v. Hugo Rodriguez Correa

251 F. App'x 602
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedOctober 15, 2007
Docket07-11281
StatusUnpublished

This text of 251 F. App'x 602 (United States v. Hugo Rodriguez Correa) 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. Hugo Rodriguez Correa, 251 F. App'x 602 (11th Cir. 2007).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Hugo Rodriguez-Correa appeals his 46-month sentence for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(2). On appeal, Rodriguez-Correa raises five arguments: 1) that his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights were violated where the district court used his prior convictions that were not alleged in the indictment or proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt to enhance his sentence; 2) the absence of an “explicit and clearly defined fast-track” program in the Middle District of Florida violates Rodriguez-Correa’s equal protection rights; 3) the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Middle District of Florida has an unwritten fast-track program, and this violates his due process rights; 4) the district court should consider the disparity associated with fast-track programs to impose a reasonable sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a); and 5) his 46-month sentence is unreasonable considering his history and characteristics and the nature and circumstances of the offense.

First, Rodriguez-Correa argues that his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights were violated where the district court used his prior convictions that were not alleged in the indictment or proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt to enhance his sentence under both U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(l)(A) (adding 16 levels for having a prior aggravated felony) and U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1 (by the addition of criminal history points). He acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by this Court’s precedent, but raises the claim to preserve it for further appellate review.

In Almendarez-Torres v. United States, the Supreme Court held that a defendant’s prior convictions used to enhance a sen *604 tence is not to be treated as an element of the offense for constitutional purposes, and as a result the prior conviction is not required to be alleged in the indictment. Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 226, 118 S.Ct. 1219, 1222, 140 L.Ed.2d 350 (1998). We have held that, “unless and until the Supreme Court specifically overrules Almendarez-Torres,” we will continue to follow it. United States v. Greer, 440 F.3d 1267, 1273 (11th Cir.2006).

Second, Rodriguez-Correa argues that the absence of an “explicit and clearly defined fast-track” program in the Middle District of Florida violates Rodriguez-Correa’s equal protection rights. RodriguezCorrea ui'ges this Court to apply strict scrutiny to his equal protection challenge. Rodriguez-Correa contends that the absence of such a program fails under strict scrutiny, and even rational basis, analysis.

We have held that “no binding authority indicates that the distinction between defendants sentenced in fast-track districts and defendants sentenced in other districts involves a suspect classification or infringes on a fundamental right.” United States v. Campos-Diaz, 472 F.3d 1278, 1280 (11th Cir.2006), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 127 S.Ct. 2085, 167 L.Ed.2d 804 (2007), and specifically held that “the absence of a fast-track program in the judicial district where a defendant is sentenced does not violate equal protection.” Id. at 1279-80.

Third, Rodriguez-Correa maintains that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida had a recently implemented “fast-track” or “early disposition” program, but that the government is not releasing the written terms of the program, which he contends violates his due process rights.

Determining whether Rodriguez-Correa was eligible for the program, and thus would have received a reduction in his sentence through a plea bargain or a government’s motion for downward departure, is a matter of prosecutorial discretion. See United States v. Pickering, 178 F.3d 1168, 1174 (11th Cir.1999) (stating that “entering into plea bargains is within the United States Attorney’s prosecutorial discretion”) (citation omitted), overruled on other grounds as stated in United States v. Orrega, 363 F.3d 1093, 1098 n. 8 (11th Cir.2004); see also, United States v. Rankin, 572 F.2d 503, 505 (5th Cir.1978) (stating that “there is no constitutional right to plea bargain.”) (citing Weatherford v. Bursey, 429 U.S. 545, 561, 97 S.Ct. 837, 846, 51 L.Ed.2d 30 (1977)); see also United States v. Orozco, 160 F.3d 1309, 1316 (11th Cir.1998) (stating that “[determining whether a motion for reduction of sentence will be filed is reserved to the government.”).

We review prosecutorial discretion to determine whether the decision of the prosecutor was motivated by unconstitutional considerations. United States v. Nealy, 232 F.3d 825, 831 (11th Cir.2000) (regarding government’s refusal to file motion for substantial-assistance departure, and stating “the government cannot exercise that power [of discretion], or fail to exercise that power, for an unconstitutional motive.”) (citing Wade v. United States, 504 U.S. 181, 112 S.Ct. 1840, 1843, 118 L.Ed.2d 524 (1992)).

In the instant case, Rodriguez-Correa has failed to introduce any evidence showing that the United States Attorney’s office used an unconstitutional motive when it denied his eligibility for the fast-track program. Thus, his argument fails.

Fourth, Rodriguez-Correa acknowledges that this Court’s precedent forecloses his claim that the district court should consider the disparity associated with fast-track programs to impose a reasonable sentence under 18 U.S.C. *605 § 3553(a), but nevertheless raises the issue to preserve it for further review.

Finally, Rodriguez-Correa argues that his 46-month sentence is unreasonable considering his history and characteristics and the nature and circumstances of the offense.

We have held that “[i]n reviewing the ultimate sentence imposed by the district court for reasonableness, we consider the final sentence, in its entirety, in light of the § 3553(a) factors.” United States v. Martin, 455 F.3d 1227, 1237 (11th Cir.2006).

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Related

United States v. Orozco
160 F.3d 1309 (Eleventh Circuit, 1998)
United States v. Pickering
178 F.3d 1168 (Eleventh Circuit, 1999)
United States v. John Orrega
363 F.3d 1093 (Eleventh Circuit, 2004)
United States v. Scott A. Winingear
422 F.3d 1241 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
United States v. John Kevin Talley
431 F.3d 784 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
United States v. Marcus Raqual Williams
435 F.3d 1350 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Isidoro Martinez
434 F.3d 1318 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Michael Martin
455 F.3d 1227 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Jermaine Hunt
459 F.3d 1180 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Celerino Campos-Diaz
472 F.3d 1278 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. William C. Campbell
491 F.3d 1306 (Eleventh Circuit, 2007)
Weatherford v. Bursey
429 U.S. 545 (Supreme Court, 1977)
Wade v. United States
504 U.S. 181 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Almendarez-Torres v. United States
523 U.S. 224 (Supreme Court, 1998)
Rita v. United States
551 U.S. 338 (Supreme Court, 2007)
United States v. David Wayne Rankin
572 F.2d 503 (Fifth Circuit, 1978)
Martinez v. United States
548 U.S. 918 (Supreme Court, 2006)
Daewoo Motor America, Inc. v. General Motors Corp.
127 S. Ct. 2032 (Supreme Court, 2007)

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Bluebook (online)
251 F. App'x 602, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-hugo-rodriguez-correa-ca11-2007.