Opinion

United States v. Aguilar

  • 83 F. App'x 610
Court
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Filed
Dec 10, 2003
Status
Unpublished
On the bench
Davis, Garza, Dennis
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 5.1%

The opinion

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT December 10, 2003

Charles R. Fulbruge III

Clerk

No. 03-10194

Conference Calendar

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

JAVIER GUADALUPE AGUILAR,

Defendant-Appellant.

--------------------

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Texas

USDC No. 4:00-CR-260-6-Y

--------------------

Before DAVIS, EMILIO M. GARZA, and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

Javier Guadalupe Aguilar appeals his guilty-plea conviction

and sentence for conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms

of marijuana. Aguilar challenges the constitutionality of 21

U.S.C. § 841 and argues that the Supreme Court’s decision in

Harris v. United States, 536 U.S. 545, 556 (2002), calls into

question United States v. Slaughter, 238 F.3d 580 (5th Cir.

2000), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 1045 (2001), in which this court

upheld the constitutionality of 21 U.S.C. § 841. In Harris, the

*

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that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent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.

No. 03-10194

-2-

Supreme Court upheld a federal statute that permitted a judge to

determine the presence or absence of a factor required for

determination of the applicable statutory minimum sentence. 536

U.S. at 568. In Harris, the Supreme Court did not consider the

constitutionality of 21 U.S.C. § 841 or expressly reject this

court’s view of 21 U.S.C. § 841 in Slaughter. One panel of this

court may not overrule the decision of another absent an

intervening decision to the contrary by the Supreme Court or the

en banc court. See Hogue v. Johnson, 131 F.3d 466, 491 (5th Cir.

1997). Because Slaughter has not been overruled and is still

binding precedent in this circuit, Aguilar’s argument is

foreclosed. The district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED. The

Government’s motion for summary affirmance is GRANTED.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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