Reported / Citable
Background
Marlon Ramirez-Castro was charged in a felony indictment in the Western District of Texas. On June 11, 2026, the defendant waived his right to appear personally before the district court and instead appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell for the purpose of entering a guilty plea and undergoing allocution under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
Following the appearance before the magistrate judge, the magistrate filed a Report and Recommendation recommending that the guilty plea be accepted by the district court. The defendant did not oppose the recommendation.
The Court’s Holding
Judge Robert Pitman accepted the defendant’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the indictment. The court adopted the Report and Recommendation filed by Magistrate Judge Howell and, finding no opposition from the defendant, entered an order accepting the plea of guilty effective July 1, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Defendants may waive personal appearance before a district judge and enter a felony guilty plea before a magistrate judge, subject to Rule 11 procedures and later acceptance by the district court.
- A magistrate judge’s report and recommendation regarding a guilty plea carries significant weight and may be adopted by the district court absent opposition.
- Acceptance of a guilty plea concludes the plea phase of criminal proceedings.
Why It Matters
This order reflects the standard procedure by which felony guilty pleas are processed in federal court. The case demonstrates that district judges routinely rely on magistrate judges’ reports in accepting guilty pleas, streamlining administrative efficiency in criminal cases while maintaining Rule 11 safeguards designed to ensure that pleas are knowing, intelligent, and voluntary.