Reported / Citable
Background
Eliazar Contreras-Resendiz was charged by information in the Western District of Texas. He waived his appearance before the district judge and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell for a felony plea proceeding and allocution under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
On June 29, 2026, the magistrate judge filed a report and recommendation advising the district court to accept Contreras-Resendiz’s guilty plea. Contreras-Resendiz did not oppose that recommendation.
The Court’s Holding
District Judge Robert Pitman accepted Contreras-Resendiz’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the information.
The one-page order did not address sentencing or describe the offense alleged in Count 1. It resolved only whether the guilty plea should be accepted following the magistrate judge’s recommendation.
Key Takeaways
- The district court accepted Contreras-Resendiz’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the information.
- A magistrate judge conducted the felony plea and Rule 11 allocution and recommended acceptance of the plea.
- Contreras-Resendiz did not oppose the report and recommendation.
Why It Matters
The order confirms the court’s acceptance of the defendant’s guilty plea, completing that stage of the prosecution. Because the order neither identifies the charged offense nor addresses punishment, it should not be read as a sentencing decision or as resolving issues beyond acceptance of the plea.