United States v. Sanchez-Polanco

* 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this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except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.
United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
December 14, 2005
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 05-40705
Conference Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
RITO ARTURO SANCHEZ-POLANCO,
Defendant-Appellant.
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Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. 2:04-CR-701-ALL
--------------------
Before KING, Chief Judge, and HIGGINBOTHAM and SMITH, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Rito Arturo Sanchez-Polanco (Sanchez) pleaded guilty to one
count of reentering the United States without permission after
having been deported. Sanchez’s constitutional challenge to
8 U.S.C. § 1326(b) is foreclosed by Almendarez-Torres v. United
States, 523 U.S. 224, 235 (1998). Although Sanchez contends
that Almendarez-Torres was incorrectly decided and that a
majority of the Supreme Court would overrule Almendarez-Torres
in light of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000), we have

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No. 05-40705
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repeatedly rejected such arguments on the basis that Almendarez-
Torres remains binding. See United States v. Garza-Lopez, 410
F.3d 268, 276 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 126 S. Ct. 298 (2005).
Sanchez properly concedes that his argument is foreclosed in
light of Almendarez-Torres and circuit precedent, but he raises
it here to preserve it for further review.
AFFIRMED.

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