Reported / Citable
Background
The district court referred Ramon Cortes-Huitron’s case to a U.S. magistrate judge to administer a guilty plea under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11. The magistrate judge conducted the required hearing and issued findings of fact and a recommendation concerning the plea.
The magistrate judge recommended that the district court accept Cortes-Huitron’s guilty plea and adjudge him guilty on Count One of the indictment. Neither party objected to the magistrate judge’s findings.
The Court’s Holding
After reviewing the magistrate judge’s findings and recommendation, the district court adopted them and accepted Cortes-Huitron’s guilty plea.
The court adjudged Cortes-Huitron guilty on Count One, which charged reentry of a deported alien in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b).
Key Takeaways
- The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s unopposed findings and recommendation concerning the guilty plea.
- The court found the Rule 11 plea proceedings sufficient and accepted Cortes-Huitron’s plea.
- Cortes-Huitron was adjudged guilty of illegal reentry under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b).
Why It Matters
The order completes the plea-adjudication stage of the prosecution by formally accepting the defendant’s plea and entering a finding of guilt. It also illustrates the district court’s use of a magistrate judge to conduct Rule 11 proceedings, subject to the district judge’s review and adoption of the resulting recommendation.