Free Motion to Dismiss Indictment - District Court of California - California

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EXHIBIT "A''

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OF UNITED STATES DEPARTI\,TENT JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMNIIGRATION REVTEW IN{MIGRATION COURT E 1 7 0 5 A S T H A N N A R O A D ,S U I T E 3 6 6 ELOY, ARIZONA 8523I

IN TI{E MATTER OF: RODRIGUEZ-GONZKLEZ, RosendoEfrain Respondent

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IN REMOVAL PROCEEDING:i FILE NO. A42 441 639

CHARGB:

andNationalityAci :. iir i, of 237(a)(2)(A)(iii) the Inimigration Section t'(,r, . in or "the Act"), as amended, tirat,at any time afteradmission, ; felonyas definedin section101(a)(a3) thc ,/t,i ' of of an aggravated '- ,- '"' ' :'. crime of violence(asdefinedin sectionl6 of Title 18,Unitetl for but not includinga purelypoliticaloffense) which the tem; r.r; orderedis at leastone (1) year. imprisonment O n B e h a l fo f t h e D e p a r t m e n t : Alice Song,Esq. AssistantChief Counsel of Department Homeland SecuriLr' 1705EastHannaRoad Eloy, Arizona 85231

O n B e h a l fo f t h e R e s p o n d e n t : pro RosendoEfrain Rodriguez-Gonzalez, se Eloy DetentionFacility 1705EastHannaRoad Eloy, Ar-izona85231 . .

DECISION AND ORDER OFTHE IMMIGRATION JUDGE I. ProceduralHistory

to The respondent a male,nativeand citizenof Mexico. He was admitted the Uniicrj is zrt on States SanYsidro,California or aboutApril 3,1990 as an Immigrant. On March I l. iijrl'i. he was convictedin the California SuperiorCourt, Countyof Los fuigeles,for the offenseoi "CorporalInjury to a Spouse/Cohabitant,"violationof section273.5(a) the CaliioiiriaPel;,r of in was sentenced fwo (2) y'ear:. to Code ("C.P.C."), u felony. For tli.isoffense,the respondent imprisonment. the allegations, Departrnent Llo;ii,3l4r1,.i on of 27,2006,based the foregoing On September as Security("DHS") issueda Notice to Appear("NTA"), chargingthe respondent remlr-,'a'i:1,:

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RODzuGUEZ.GONZALEZ .
A42 447 639 and Nationality of to purslranr section237(a)(2)(At(iii) the hnmigration fronr tlreUriitedStates of wasconvicted he in as Act ("INA" or "t1e Act;'1, amended, that,at any time afteradmission, of in felonyas'defined section101(aXa3) the Act, a crinreof violence(asdefined an aggravated for offense) a but Code, not including purelypolitical l6 in section of Title 18,UnitedStates is ordered at leastone ( I ) year.(Ex. I , NTA.) rvhichthe term of irnprisonn.rent receipt acktiowledged Hearingon October19,2006,the respondent At a MasterCalendar 8, Hearingon November 2006,the respondent of theNTA. At a coltinuedMasterCalendar and of the conceded charge removability, designated admittedall of the factualallegations, Mexico as the countryof removal II. B u r d e no f P r o o f

from the UnitedStates. whetheran alienis removable Judgeshall decide An hnmigration by n\fA $ 2 0(c)(l)(A) (Wesr2006). DHS hastheburdento establish clearandcouviucing is beenadmittedto the United States removable. INA $ an evidencetl-rat alien who l.ras v. (West 2006);seealsoWoodb-v INS, 385 U.S. 276 (1966)' 8 2a0(c)(3)(A); C.F.R.(i 12a0.8(a) III. Aualysis

by DHS has failed, in the presentcase,to meetits burdenof establishing clear and is that the respondent removable. When determiningif a stateconviction convincing evidence to law, the Courtmust apply"the'categorical' qualifiesas a "crime of violence"pursuarlt federal 'looking only to the statutorydefinition[ of the prior offense."' Tokatly v. Ashcroft, approach, ] 495 Taylor v. UnitedStates, in (9rh Cir.2004)(alteration original)(quoting 371 F.3d 613,620 of convictionandnot the The Courtmust look to the natureof thestatute U.S. 575,600 (1990)). crime.SeeLeocalv. Ashcroft,543 U.S. I,7 (2004). particular factsrelatingto the respondent's of tf tt full rangeof conductcoveredby the statute convictionfalls within the meaningof the " "crime of violence" as usedin the Act, then the offensecategorically qualifiesas a "crime term F.3d 386,391 (9th Cir.2006). v. of violence."SeeCisneios-Perez Gonzales,465 both conductthat doesand doesnot constitutethe If the statuteof convictionreaches genericdefinition of a "crirne of violence,"the Court must condrlcta modified categorical 359 v. See analysis. UnitedStates Pallares-Galan, F.3d 1088,1099,1102-03(9th Cir. 2004)or will "considerwhetherdocumentation otherjudicially the Under this approach, Court of was convictedof the elements the noticeablefactsin the recordindicatethat lthe respondent] v. genericallydefipedcrime." Hu'erta-GueJgra Ashcroft,321 F.3d 883, 887 (9th Cir. 2003); of (9th Cir.2002).The purpose the modifiedcategorical v. Randhawa Ashcroft,298F.3dtl48 was that establishes the defendant is approach "to determineif the recordunequivocally the crime is overly defrnedcrime, evenif the statutedehning convictedof the generically 291 v. inclusive."UnitedStatles Colona-Sanchez, F.3d 1201,l2l.l (9th Cir.2002)(en banc).

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RODRIGUEZ-GONZALEZ A42 447 639 approach, Coufi niayconsider chargingdocuments the Under the modifiedcategorical the with thepleaagreenrent-,transcript apleaproceeding; tlie of in conjunction ortliejudgnrent to' guiltyto theelements thegeneric whether alienpled the v. of detemrine crime.SeeUnitedStates (9thCir. 1997);see Huerta-Guevara, F,3dat 887; also Bonat.l06 F.3d 1472,1476-78 321 T F.l C o r o n a - S a n c h e z , 2 9 3 da l l 2 l l ; s e e a l s o a y l o r , 4 9 5 . S .a t 6 0 1( n o t i n g h e" p r a c t i c a l U t of approach," ratherthanacategorical difficultiesand potentialunfaimess a factual approach, to v. prioroffenses); a defendant's UnitedStates Rivera-Sanchez,24l 905,908(9th Cir.2001) F.3d (en banc)(remanding reviewof recordof conviction).The Court,nevertheless, not look for may the documents determinewhat alienwas convicted to to factsoutside judicially noticeable the of. Tokatly,371 F.3dat 621. with the categorical approach, Beginning INA section23T(a)(2)(Axiii) renders "[a]ny alienwho is convicted an aggravated deportable of felonyat anytime afteradmission . . . ." Ar aggravated felony,undersection 101(a)(43)(F) the Act, is a"crime of violence"for of which the term of imprisorunent at leastone (l) year.INA $ l0l(a)(a3)(F). A "crirneof is violence,"in turn, is definedby reference I8 U.S.C.section16.Id. Section16 of title I 8, to United States Code,definesa "crime of violence"as: (a) an offensethat hasas an elementthe use,attempted use,or threatened of use physicalforce againstthe personor propertyofanother, or (b) any other offensethat is a felony and that,by its nature,involves a substantial risk that physicalforce againstthe personor propertyof anotherlllay be used in the courseof cornmittingtlie offense. 1 8U . S . C $ 1 6 . . by was The respondent, his own admission, convicted violatingC.P.C.section of 273.5(a).(SeealsoGrp. Ex. 5, Judgment Abstract; Minutes.) C.P.C.section273.5(a) id., provides: Any person who u,ilUullyinflicts upona personwho is his or her spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, the motheror fatherof his or her child, or corporalinju.y resulting a traumatic condition, guilty of a felony,and upon in is conviction thereofshall be punished impriponment by in'the stateprison for two, three,or four years,or in a countyjail for not more thanone year,or by a fine of up to six thousand dollars($6,000)or by both that fine and imprisonment.

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(emphasis C.P.C.$ 273.5(a) interpreting a added).DHS submitted brief essentially C.P.C. section 273.5(a) meanthat,to be guilty of the offense, person a to mustactivelyemployforce (SeeGrp. Ex. 7, DHS Brief at 4-5.) with tlie intentof causing or harm to thespouse cohabitant. Viewing the statutein this light, DHS thenconcludes that the offensequalifiesas a "crime of

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RODRIGUEZ-GONZALEZ A42 447 639 16. suchan interpretation tlie of by section (fd. at 6.) However, violence" defined l8 U.S.C. as "a is orwillingness corrtntil /o statute incomectThe word:'willfully" means purpose California added).Therefore, is it Ihe act tltatresultsin corporalinjury." CALJIC $ 9.35 (ernphasis under 273.5(a) wherehe intends do that C.P.C.section to conceivable a person maybe convicted in v. results corporalinjury, albeitinadvertently. People See someimocent act that ultirnately (Cal.App. 4th Dist.)(findingthata defendant 318 nraybe lound 90 Canrpbell, Cal.Rptr.2d,315, intendto cause traumatic guilty of C.P.C. section 273.5(a), evenif lte did not specifically the 273.5(a) doesnot necessarily haveas an element"the use, injury). As such,C.P.C.section the use,or tlueatened of physicalforceagainst person propertyof another."See use or attempted the reason, Californiaprovisiondoesnot, by its nature, l8 U.S.C.{i i6(a). For the same "involve a substantial that physicalforceagainst person property risk the or of necessarily 273.5(a) reaches another may be used." See18U.S.C.$ l6(b). Hence, C.P.C. section conduct definitionof a "crime of violence." The Courtnrust that doesanddoesnot constitute generic the analysis. procecd a "nrodified" to categorical Thejudicially noticeable factsin the record, here,areinsufficient establish the that to respondent's offense was a "crime of violence"within the meaning i8 U.S.C.section16. In of section 273.5(a) conviction, relationto the respondent's DHS subniitted felony a C.P.C. complaint,an abstract ofjudgment,theminutesfrom the statecourtproceedings, a' and (Grp. Ex. 5, Complaint; Judgment sentencing document. id., Abstract; Ct. Minutes;Ex. 8, id., Tab 2, Felony Sentence plea agreement a Doc.) DHS did not introducethe respondent's or transcriptof his pleaproceeding into the record.The documents submitted, however,are insufficientfor the Courtto conclude thatthe respondent's C.P.C.section 273.5(a) conviction is a "crimeof violence" 16. under18U.S.C.section with "Corporal Injury to a The felony complaintchargingthe respondent Spouse/Cohabitant" containslittle rnorethan genericstatutorylanguage from C.P.C.section 273.5(a).t (SeeGrp. Ex. 5, Complaint.)The abstract ofjudgment,the minutesfrom the state court proceedings, the sentencing pled guilty to the and documentsliow only that the respondent chargeand was sentenced iniprisorunent. (Grp. Ex. 5, Judgment to Abstract;Ld.,Ct. Minutes;Ex. 8, Tab 2, FelonySentence Doc.) Noneof thejudicially noticeable detailthespecific documents

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The felony complaintprovidesinter alia'.

On and betweenMay I l, 2003 and May 12,2003,in the County of Los Angeles,the crime of CORPORAL INJURY TO SPOUSUCOHABITANT/CHILD'S PARENT, in violation of by PENAL CODE SECTION 213.5(a),a Felony,was committed ROSENDORODRIGUEZ,who did willfully and unlau,fully inflict corporal injury resultingin a traumaticcondition upon MARTH GARCIA, who was a former cohabitant. (Grp. Ex. 5, Complaint,l.)

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RODRIGUEZ.GONZALEZ A42 447 639 engaged The Court,therefore, not conclude in. thatthe conducttliat the resportdent can v, a 435 offense-was necessarilyllcrirne violence." Penuliar Gonzales, F,3d of respondent's See whichcontains and thatinformation, only generic statutory language 961 (9thCir. 2006)(holding "crime of violence,"and an abstract that is not categorically an a charges alienwith an offense of judgment,which simply states thatthe alienpled guilty to the charge, insufficient establish are to of DHS hasfailed meetits that thealienwasconvicted a "crimeof violence").Consequently, to the evidence, thecharge and by burdenof establishing alien'sremovability clearandconvincing Accordingly, proceedings be tenninated.2 the will is not sustained. The followineordershallbe entered: ORDER: IT IS OR-DEREDTI{AT the proceedings TERMINATED as the be govenxnenthasfailed to establish,front e'viclence presented, that the the is to as respondent subject rernoval cliarged clearand convincing by evidence.

7),t,r"t,i/ .7,)al/
Date JeffreyZlatow U.S.[mmigrationJudge

1.,,2

DHS electednot to submit further evidenceor any additionalchargesof removabilitydespitebeinggiven to multiple opportunities do so. Basedon the evidencepresented, proceedings the will be terminated.This is not to however,that the chargeofremovability would not havebeensustained ifbener evidencehad been suggest, presented DHS. by

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EXHIBIT "B''

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US. Departnent of Jusdce E:recutiw ffFce fu lrrmigrdtion R:"iEirl

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111 F SIrGG{, N.W.r.Sulte 306 Wrrhlngtorq tlG AloOl{Oo0

U,S.DHgTrirl AttomeyUnftrEAZ P.O,Box 4il58 Phosrh, AZ 86lt@

Namai RODHfGUEZ-GONZALU, HOSENOO EFFATN

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of this noUcec6flS/:f00?

Enclosed a co,pyof the Board,s is docieionandmder in the above_rtfcrEnccd carcSincaely,

Dar* ta*t
DonnaCrr Chief Cler}

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PsnelMcmbors: HIJru,I.AURI S. err?nt, Chi+opherM, PAUIEY.ROGER

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U.8. DeporAent of Jurtiee ExocutiwOtficefor InrnlgrsfionRcvic*
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Decicicnof the Bosrd df Innigration AppFF,ls

Files: A4247 639-EIoy,

JUilr 5 il107

In rsr ROSENDOEFRAIN RQj DRIGLItr'1-OONZALFZa.k.a. Rosendo Rodriguez IN REMOVAL PROCEBDINGS APPEAL ONBEf{ALF OF RESPOITDENT: Rr:chard FYanke}, H. Esgu'rc ONBEIIALF OF DlSh CTIARGE: Notice: Scc- 237g)Q)("A.Xjii)r Act [8 U,s.C. i r227(a)(2)(AxiiiI " I&N fclony Convictedof aggurratod Sqah L. Ilarrnett AssistantCbiefCounsel

APPLICATION: Reinstate,ment Re,luoval of Pmceedings

TheDeparhcut ofFlomefuind Security(DHS) ameolsfiom anImmigrarionJudge'sJanuar5r 3, ' 2007, docision tsrminstitrg retnoval proceedings againstt[e respondene The appeelwill be sustsino4 tho reuroval procccdinSs r*tll be reinrtated,and the record will be rerfiasded the io Immigtatim Judge ftrther procccdings.. for Therespondcnt, anadvo.and citizca of Mexico, wasconvisted byplea in e CaliforaiaSuperior Coutt iu f,Iax'2005 for willftIly ioficting corloral irdury on a spouse cohrbitant,a felony in or violetimof C^L,PE'NALCoDB 2R.5(a) forwhichhe qras seotencedto atermofimprisoomcnrof $ 2 yeta, widr a I ycar cobaxtcement underCel- krcAr. Cooe $ I 2022(bXI) for beingannedwith a fimaur or daugerous deadly weapon or while corurrittinga felony- On the basisof this corrviction, DHS chaqged thorcspondeatwith renovability frm tre United States EDalicn convistodof an es 'hggFnrrdedftlony";to wig a "ctr'imc violencc' rrDdr U.S.C,$.16 fm wtrich.thelsrm of of lE iruptisoroontq/es IeastI year.SedionsIOI(aXa3)F)aud23(a)pxAxiri) oftho Immlgrarion' at and NauonatlFApq E U.S.c. $$ ll0t(a)(43xF) md l?2t(ale)6xiti) (2000), Horevq, the lnmigrationJudgeterminatcd ' - procccaings p'nhb detmdnstion bssed thattbc offensedefincd .ms uot catogoriqally *crimeofviolmce" rroder by CeL.kvAI COOg 273.5(a) a eithersubssction $ of I I IJ !-C- 0 I 6 andthatthc recordof convistioasubmitFdinto evidcnce DHSwasinsuffiDicnt by e esteblish re*pondent's tho removabilrtyunder*re "rnodifiedcategorioal to apgcoach" statutory ianerprebtion' reverse, Wb

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A42447 63e eleneottbc Tog:elif asa"crimeofvioloe"rmderlSU.S.C.S l6(a),anoffensemusthaveaSan use,dffiry4oduse,stbreztasducatrFfuInsicalforceaggin$ttrepeccnarpr-garlyaflndtlterltoEtzli? undsr$l6(b),itmustbeafelouy**,byi*rmure,invokesa$bstiltiald*tmpnvscslf@af,airut *egenerally &eperuoaorpropeftyofnnethoraeybeuisdindrecomsesfcDcrtnittingtbeoffcnse. Cff- PnlALCgDts$ slstutcofconvic'tion U.S. t (2ffi4). Therespondenl's Leocalv.Ashcro$,543 gs 27?.5(aJ,Frovjdes follDwr; Anypersonuftowiltfullyinflictsuponapermnvhoishrtsorherqpouse,fmurerspoue, cohabilmrrfcrmercohabftail,orthemortbrrfathsofhisorhrrchildrcorporali4iury rwiltirgin ataumaticwtditim, b grfityofaftlmy, odrpoocouvicimlhereof,Sall be prrdslcdtfinrgrisqffierrtfuthee|stetrisoilfortwurtrrEErorfomyrears,orinacorrrty .-jailfornotnoredunosrcyer,orbyafineofirptosixtbqusmddollrs($6,000)orby bdth tbat fiue ad impnrsormqr conditknofthc Section2735(c)oftheCaJifqrntsPEtsd Codedefines'ltffiraatiacrytdition"tomoarro'a body,sgchaaarroutrdar urternsloninemal bJrry, wlwtterofamisororseriousnafirg causcdlya \rilfullf plysblftroe.'Aacrdingto nthmitqtivedris*mcflbeCslifuh@rft,Emeovq,tbet-p iscoployeding2TSS(aXomemepsrpqseprwillinguessorttepctoftheacttrrocormit&eactthat rcsultsin coryoralrqjnry,Peoplev, Cunpbett,90 Cal, Rprt 2d 315,3l?-1S (Cal. Ct. App. 1999) (fo[o\iliDg Peopfev- Tlnrston, 84 Cal. Rprr.2d221,n4-25 (ed- Ctt-App. 1999)),while tbetrm Suf,icts"meanstbattbccorpomliqirrymt$tenrltS,oErdrestalplicatimofforcebytheperpclratm Cl. upon the victitrL Peoplev. Jackson,gl Cal. Rpnrld 805, 808-10(C41. App. 2000) seeelro (2005Renision).r Cal. Jrqy lnstr.-Crirn. 9.35 InUghto'flbefictrtrdapersmcnuptbecoryictcdlfldq$223.5($wieoutwillfitllyusingpbysi,cal com,+itiqr thcvictinr,wete satisfied fq,cr:ofsucbvioleoceasro cause Ucumstic to thattbeoftnse has s tbenseofpbyeicalfqrceagflitrrttbepertonofanofibtasanelemeutwithintterneaningoflS U.S-C-$ t6(a) Thatmffierneedrot4ccifical$btcndtoiqiurctbevk;timierotdetqtcinafivc;fte\ditfuorcqllircpcmitnpliatlnibetef,n'tse"relatee otbeapplicetionofforceagdnst&evictim,rrduotbtle inflicticofiqiury. Theotrensedefirdby$2?3{a)iealmacrimeofviolenceuaderlEU.S.C.16{b) $ becausaittsafelwylbacmotbecmitedwitbouttbeomad*dieegodiDgsembgathldskfbd hewrllsvctorrscyiohDtplryn'cat forceagainstanotberinordcrnoconrplete&ea'fucrerthcrtoiaflic or rvquircsor to ovcrcmc thc victim's rcsistatrcc, bolb. ,9ee tbetarmgtic condidm tha tbe stanrte genemllyLeocol u lsteroft, fqgrra,Et accordiogly, uae coucludethd thercspordo's ofcnse lO, qualificscdqgffiicEl$'aeaqincof\dotcoccuoder IEU.S.C.$l6ad,inlighofhiaS-yearBeffice,& Eg$altstedfelony undersectiq l0l(aXa3)F) oftbsAct. TheInnrigradm Judge'sdecisiorto the co6arywill bc'racre4tbercraoralp,occaAngs willbcreinctite4 mdtberep,oilwill berwmdedfu adctcmirsi,maetoqiffittenespodentAntificsfor(m{ifappopi*s,raeriblaryfrnofrclief &omreooval 1 CorapucAnego-Mendeu.Goreales,450F.3d 1Ol0(gibCit 2006)(holdhgsmnlebateryisnot acrineof?iolencunderl8U-S.C.$ ld(albecametheminimunforocregircil-ameretouching-is nodviolent md iecd nst catxebodily bsm)-

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ORDER: The appealiBsrr$aind ud thercmprmlproccceinp Ee rcinstaGod. aodtherccqd ie renandedtothe eustsincd fUnfgfn ORDER: Tbechargeofremovabilityis cffiistedt with ihc fcragoingdeciqqon Inrmigration Judgefor fineherproceedings