Reported / Citable
Background
Luis Armando Reyes Portillo waived his appearance before the district court and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower for a felony guilty-plea proceeding and allocution under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
On July 20, 2026, the magistrate judge filed a report and recommendation advising the district court to accept Reyes Portillo’s guilty plea. Reyes Portillo did not oppose that recommendation.
The Court’s Holding
After reviewing the case file and the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation, the district court accepted Reyes Portillo’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Information.
The one-page order did not address sentencing or describe the offense charged in Count 1.
Key Takeaways
- The district court accepted Reyes Portillo’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Information.
- A magistrate judge conducted the felony plea and Rule 11 allocution after Reyes Portillo waived appearance before the district court.
- Reyes Portillo did not oppose the magistrate judge’s recommendation that the plea be accepted.
Why It Matters
The order formally accepts Reyes Portillo’s guilty plea following the magistrate judge’s Rule 11 proceeding. It illustrates the process by which a district judge may act on a magistrate judge’s recommendation concerning a felony plea when the defendant has waived appearance before the district court and raises no opposition.