United States v. Rodriguez-Izaguirre , 250 F. App'x 634 ( 2007 )


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  •           IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT United States Court of Appeals
    Fifth Circuit
    FILED
    October 15, 2007
    No. 06-41315
    Summary Calendar               Charles R. Fulbruge III
    Clerk
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
    Plaintiff-Appellee
    v.
    ROSENDO RODRIGUEZ-IZAGUIRRE
    Defendant-Appellant
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Southern District of Texas
    USDC No. 7:06-CR-288-All
    Before JOLLY, DENNIS, and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:*
    Rosendo Rodriguez-Izaguirre appeals his conviction and sentence for
    attempted illegal reentry after deportation. Rodriguez-Izaguirre argues that
    affording a presumption of reasonableness to his sentence merely because it falls
    within the properly calculated sentencing range under the United States
    Sentencing Guidelines is inconsistent with United States v. Booker, 
    543 U.S. 220
    *
    Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion
    should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited
    circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
    (2005). Rodriguez-Izaguirre concedes that this argument is contrary to current
    Fifth Circuit precedent but raises it to preserve it for further review in light of
    the writs of certiorari granted by the Supreme Court in Rita v. United States,
    
    127 S. Ct. 551
     (2006), and Claiborne v. United States, 
    127 S. Ct. 551
     (2006).
    Rita now has been decided, and the Supreme Court has affirmed that a
    “court of appeals may apply a presumption of reasonableness to a district court
    sentence that reflects a proper application of the Sentencing Guidelines.” Rita
    v. United States, 
    127 S. Ct. 2456
    , 2462 (2007). Furthermore, the Supreme Court
    has vacated the underlying Claiborne decision as moot due to the death of the
    petitioner. Claiborne v. United States, 
    127 S. Ct. 2245
     (2007), vacating as moot
    
    439 F.3d 479
     (8th Cir. 2006).      Therefore, Rodriguez-Izaguirre’s argument
    remains foreclosed.
    Rodriguez-Izaguirre also argues that his sentence is unreasonable because
    the district court failed to properly assess the factors set forth in 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a).    The district court’s sentence was imposed with sufficient
    consideration of the § 3553(a) factors and is not unreasonable. See United States
    v. Nikonova, 
    480 F.3d 371
    , 376 (5th Cir. 2007), petition for cert. filed, (U.S. May
    21, 2007) (No. 06-11834); United States v. Alonzo, 
    435 F.3d 551
    , 554 (5th Cir.
    2006).
    In light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 
    530 U.S. 466
     (2000), Rodriguez-
    Izaguirre also challenges the constitutionality of § 1326(b)’s treatment of prior
    felony and aggravated felony convictions as sentencing factors rather than
    elements of the offense that must be found by a jury. This court has held that
    this issue is “fully foreclosed from further debate.”          United States v.
    Pineda-Arrellano, 
    492 F.3d 624
    , 625 (5th Cir. 2007).
    Accordingly, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
    2
    DENNIS, Circuit Judge, concurring in affirming the conviction and sentence
    only.
    I concur in affirming the conviction and sentence only. See United States
    v. Pineda-Arrellano, 
    492 F.3d 624
    , 625 (5th Cir. 2007) (Dennis, J., concurring in
    affirming the conviction and sentence only).
    3