Reported / Citable
Background
Hector Badillo-Chavez faced a felony charge in federal court. Rather than proceed to trial, the defendant waived his right to appear before the district court and instead appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell for a Rule 11 guilty plea hearing and allocution.
The Court’s Holding
The district court accepted the defendant’s guilty plea to Count One following the Magistrate Judge’s recommendation. The defendant filed no opposition to the recommendation, and Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra entered the order accepting the plea on June 30, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The defendant waived appearance before the district judge and proceeding with a magistrate judge plea hearing.
- The Magistrate Judge found the plea sufficient under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11 and recommended acceptance.
- The district court adopted the recommendation without noted objection from the defendant.
Why It Matters
This order represents the resolution of the criminal charge against Badillo-Chavez through guilty plea rather than trial. The proceeding illustrates the use of magistrate judges to conduct initial felony plea hearings in federal practice, with district court approval required for final acceptance. Sentencing and any further proceedings would follow in subsequent orders.