Reported / Citable
Background
Juan Jesus Guerra-Romero waived his appearance before the district court and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower for a felony plea proceeding and an allocution under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
On July 23, 2026, the magistrate judge filed a report and recommendation advising the district court to accept Guerra-Romero’s guilty plea. Guerra-Romero did not oppose the recommendation.
The Court’s Holding
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman accepted the magistrate judge’s recommendation.
The court ordered that Guerra-Romero’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Information be accepted. The one-page order did not describe the charged offense or address sentencing.
Key Takeaways
- The district court accepted Guerra-Romero’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Information.
- The plea and Rule 11 allocution were taken by a magistrate judge after Guerra-Romero waived appearance before the district court.
- Guerra-Romero filed no opposition to the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation.
Why It Matters
The order confirms the district court’s acceptance of the felony guilty plea following proceedings before a magistrate judge. It resolves acceptance of the plea but does not identify the underlying offense or determine Guerra-Romero’s sentence.