Reported / Citable
Background
Brett Allen Garza was charged in a criminal matter before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Rather than proceeding to trial, Garza chose to resolve the case through a guilty plea. The defendant waived his right to appear personally before the District Court judge and instead appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell on June 11, 2026.
At that magistrate court proceeding, Garza entered a guilty plea to Count 1 of the Superseding Information and participated in allocution as required by Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Following the hearing, Magistrate Judge Howell filed a Report and Recommendation recommending that the District Court accept the guilty plea.
The Court’s Holding
District Judge Robert Pitman accepted the Report and Recommendation and approved Garza’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Superseding Information. The order reflects that no opposition to the magistrate’s recommendation was filed by the defendant, and the court found the plea properly entered in accordance with applicable procedural rules.
The acceptance of the guilty plea effectively resolved the criminal charge at the plea stage, eliminating the need for trial proceedings.
Key Takeaways
- The defendant’s guilty plea to Count 1 was accepted by the District Court following Rule 11 procedures.
- The defendant waived appearance before the District Judge and the plea was taken before a Magistrate Judge.
- The guilty plea resolved the charged count without requiring further proceedings.
Why It Matters
This order reflects a routine but significant moment in criminal procedure: the acceptance of a guilty plea and disposition of a federal criminal charge. The procedural compliance with Rule 11—including the allocution process—ensures that the defendant’s plea is knowing, voluntary, and intelligent, protecting the integrity of the plea process.