Reported / Citable
Background
David Alejandro Mora-Reyes appeared with counsel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew H. Watters for a felony guilty-plea proceeding. The matter had been referred under a general order for the magistrate judge to take the plea.
After receiving Rule 11 admonishments, Mora-Reyes consented to having the magistrate judge take his plea. He pleaded guilty, without a plea agreement, to Count One of the indictment, charging illegal reentry into the United States.
The Court’s Holding
The magistrate judge found that Mora-Reyes understood the charge, potential penalties, and his constitutional and statutory rights, and that he knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights. The court also found him competent and concluded that a sufficient factual basis supported the plea.
The magistrate judge found Mora-Reyes guilty of the offense to which he pleaded and recommended that the district judge accept the plea and enter a judgment of guilt. Sentencing was referred to the presiding district judge.
Key Takeaways
- The recommendation concerns acceptance of a guilty plea; it is not a sentencing decision.
- Mora-Reyes pleaded guilty to illegal reentry without a plea agreement.
- Parties have 14 days to object to the findings and recommendation.
Why It Matters
The report documents compliance with Rule 11 and provides the factual and procedural basis for the district judge to accept Mora-Reyes’s guilty plea. Absent timely objections, the recommendation may be adopted without de novo review of unchallenged findings.