Reported / Citable
Background
Yurel Sanchez-Torres appeared with counsel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Cordova for a felony guilty-plea proceeding referred under a general order. The magistrate judge advised Sanchez-Torres of his right to have a district judge take the plea and conducted the required Rule 11 colloquy.
Sanchez-Torres pleaded guilty, without a plea agreement, to Count One: illegal reentry into the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Sentencing was reserved for the presiding district judge.
The Court’s Holding
The magistrate judge found that Sanchez-Torres knowingly and voluntarily consented to the magistrate judge’s taking of the plea; understood the charge, penalties, and rights he waived; and was competent to plead guilty. The court also found an adequate factual basis for the plea.
Judge Cordova found Sanchez-Torres guilty of the charged offense and recommended that the district court accept the guilty plea and enter a judgment of guilt. The recommendation remained subject to objections and district-court review.
Key Takeaways
- Sanchez-Torres pleaded guilty to illegal reentry under 8 U.S.C. § 1326 without a plea agreement.
- The magistrate judge found the Rule 11 requirements satisfied, including voluntariness, competency, and a factual basis.
- The district judge retained responsibility for accepting the recommendation and imposing sentence.
Why It Matters
The filing documents the plea-stage findings supporting acceptance of an illegal-reentry guilty plea, while preserving the parties’ opportunity to object within 14 days. It does not itself impose sentence; the matter was referred to the presiding district judge for sentencing.