Reported / Citable
Background
Esmeralda Mejia-Mercado appeared with counsel before Magistrate Judge Matthew H. Watters for a felony guilty-plea proceeding referred under a general order. The magistrate judge advised her that she could have her plea taken by a district judge and conducted the required Rule 11 colloquy.
Mejia-Mercado pleaded guilty, without a plea agreement, to Count One of the indictment, charging illegal reentry into the United States. Sentencing was reserved for the presiding district judge.
The Court’s Holding
The magistrate judge found that Mejia-Mercado consented to the magistrate judge’s taking of her plea; understood the charge, penalties, and rights she was waiving; was competent; and entered her plea knowingly, freely, and voluntarily. The court also found a sufficient factual basis for the plea.
Based on those findings, the magistrate judge found Mejia-Mercado guilty of the charge to which she pleaded 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
- The defendant pleaded guilty to illegal reentry without a plea agreement.
- The magistrate judge concluded that the Rule 11 requirements were satisfied and that the plea had a sufficient factual basis.
- The document is a findings-and-recommendation ruling; sentencing and final acceptance were for the presiding district judge.
Why It Matters
The ruling clears the case for district-court consideration of the guilty plea and later sentencing. It also underscores that a magistrate judge’s plea findings and recommendation do not themselves replace the district judge’s final action on acceptance and sentencing.