Reported / Citable
Background
The court referred David Bejines Barajas’s guilty plea to a U.S. magistrate judge for administration under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11. After conducting the plea hearing, the magistrate judge issued findings and recommended that the district court accept the plea and adjudge Barajas guilty on Count One of the indictment.
Neither party objected to the magistrate judge’s findings. Count One charged Barajas with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846.
The Court’s Holding
District Judge Amos L. Mazzant adopted the magistrate judge’s findings and recommendation. The court accepted Barajas’s guilty plea and found him guilty of Count One.
The court deferred acceptance of the plea agreement until after it reviews the presentence report. Thus, the order adjudicated Barajas guilty based on his plea but left acceptance of the parties’ plea agreement for later consideration.
Key Takeaways
- The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s Rule 11 plea findings without objection from either party.
- Barajas was found guilty of a methamphetamine-distribution conspiracy under 21 U.S.C. § 846.
- The plea agreement was not yet accepted; that decision was deferred pending review of the presentence report.
Why It Matters
The order separates acceptance of the defendant’s guilty plea from acceptance of the plea agreement. Barajas has been adjudicated guilty, while the agreement’s disposition remains subject to the district court’s later presentence review.