Reported / Citable
Background
Esteban Ramires-Ramires waived his appearance before the district court and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower to enter a felony plea and participate in the allocution required by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
On July 20, 2026, the magistrate judge filed a report and recommendation advising the district court to accept Ramires-Ramires’s guilty plea. Ramires-Ramires did not oppose the recommendation.
The Court’s Holding
After reviewing the case file and the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation, the district court accepted Ramires-Ramires’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Information.
The one-page order did not describe the charge in Count 1, impose a sentence, or resolve any disputed legal issue.
Key Takeaways
- The district court accepted Ramires-Ramires’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Information.
- The plea proceeding and Rule 11 allocution occurred before Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower after Ramires-Ramires waived appearance before the district court.
- Ramires-Ramires filed no opposition to the magistrate judge’s recommendation that the plea be accepted.
Why It Matters
The order confirms the district court’s acceptance of the felony guilty plea following proceedings before a magistrate judge. It is a case-specific procedural ruling and does not announce a broader rule of law or address sentencing.