Reported / Citable
Background
Jose Alejandro Moreno-Valadez was charged in a federal criminal case in the Western District of Texas. The district court referred the matter to a United States magistrate judge under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b) to administer Moreno-Valadez’s guilty plea under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
Moreno-Valadez consented to the magistrate judge’s administration of the plea and allocution. The magistrate judge issued a report and recommendation concerning the plea, and no timely objection was filed.
The Court’s Holding
Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Guaderrama approved and adopted the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation. The court found the report was neither clearly erroneous nor contrary to law.
The court accepted Moreno-Valadez’s guilty plea and vacated the previously scheduled jury trial setting.
Key Takeaways
- A defendant may consent to a magistrate judge’s administration of a Rule 11 guilty plea and allocution.
- With no timely objection, the district court reviewed the report and recommendation for clear error and legal consistency.
- The district court accepted the guilty plea and vacated the jury trial setting.
Why It Matters
The order reflects the district court’s acceptance of a guilty plea after a magistrate judge conducted the plea proceedings by consent. It does not address the merits of the underlying charges or impose sentence.