Doe v. United States

915 F.3d 905
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedFebruary 14, 2019
DocketDocket 17-1841; August Term, 2018
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 915 F.3d 905 (Doe v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doe v. United States, 915 F.3d 905 (2d Cir. 2019).

Opinion

Katzmann, Chief Judge:

Petitioner-Appellant John Doe 1 filed a writ of coram nobis in 2014 to vacate a prior conviction. Both the Government and Doe's original attorney admitted that Doe was misled as to the serious immigration consequences of the crime to which he pleaded guilty. The Government, after initially opposing the coram nobis petition, joined in asking the district court to grant it. The district court nevertheless denied the petition. Troublingly, the Government has now switched positions again, arguing that the district court did not abuse its discretion. On review, we grant the petition.

BACKGROUND

Pursuant to a plea agreement, Doe pleaded guilty in [redacted] to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy [redacted]. As part of his agreement, Doe consented to cooperate with the Government. Doe was sentenced in [redacted] to [redacted].

In [redacted], Doe filed a petition for a writ of error coram nobis . According to the petition, Doe's attorney had assured him that his plea should not result in removal, when in fact the admitted loss amount [redacted] rendered it an aggravated felony, resulting in a lifetime citizenship bar, a conclusive presumption of deportability, and automatic denial of discretionary relief. See 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101 (a)(43)(M)(i) (defining aggravated felony as including "an offense that involves fraud or deceit in which the loss to the victim or victims exceeds $10,000"), 1101(f)(8), 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii), 1228(c), 1229b(a)(3), 1229b(b)(1)(C), 1427(a). The petition also included an earlier written statement in which Doe's defense attorney admitted that he was ignorant as to immigration law and so was unaware that Doe's conviction would lead to mandatory deportation. He and Doe had relied on the Government's assurances that it would do everything possible to keep Doe in the country.

After his sentencing, Doe applied to renew his green card, at which point he was placed into removal proceedings. The agents with whom Doe had been cooperating referred him to new agents, and Doe agreed to cooperate with them in more sensitive matters. His removal proceedings were then administratively closed. Now aware that he was deportable, Doe sought to vacate his conviction; he was dissuaded by his handlers, who told him they would be able to obtain citizenship for him or have his conviction vacated. With the agents' encouragement, Doe applied for citizenship; this application, however, was denied around [redacted] or [redacted]. Agents continued to assure him that they *909 would procure him citizenship and to discourage him from discussing a vacatur motion with attorneys. Finally, in [redacted], Doe recognized that the agents could not actually obtain citizenship for him and contacted a new lawyer.

Doe then filed the instant coram nobis petition, after a delay of several months occasioned by the need to retrieve the original criminal complaint against him. The Government initially opposed the petition, asserting that Doe did not meet the standard for coram nobis relief because he did not receive ineffective assistance, he was not prejudiced by any ineffective assistance, and his petition was untimely. However, after meeting with Doe, the Government filed a letter with the court withdrawing its opposition. The Government requested that the court (1) grant the coram nobis petition and (2) transfer the criminal case to the [redacted]. At a hearing in [redacted], the Government informed the court that after examining Second Circuit case law and meeting with Doe-whose story the Government credited-the Government believed that Doe had received ineffective assistance of counsel. Given the circuit law and the factual circumstances, the Government determined that it "could not ... in good conscience oppose the motion."

The district court orally denied the petition, stating that it was "not persuaded." Doe timely appealed the decision, seeking expedited summary reversal. This Court determined that the district court's reasoning could not be discerned from the record; it remanded for the district court to identify the legal standard applied and to explain its reasons for denying relief. The district court then issued a written opinion denying Doe's coram nobis petition. The court stated that no " 'serious constitutional question' would be raised by withdrawing [Doe's] guilty plea at this stage," and held that a writ of coram nobis "hardly seems the remedy in this case, if one is even in order." The court said that "the Executive Branch ... is requesting that the Judicial Branch remedy what the United States Attorney's Office believes to be a wrong perpetrated by either ICE or the FBI," a request which the court did "not believe ... to be sound, given the separation of powers doctrine." After the district court issued its decision, Doe reinstated his appeal.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard of Review

"A writ of error coram nobis is an 'extraordinary remedy' " typically granted only when a prisoner is out of custody and so cannot pursue habeas relief. Kovacs v. United States , 744 F.3d 44 , 49 (2d Cir. 2014) (quoting United States v. Morgan , 346 U.S. 502 , 511, 74 S.Ct. 247 , 98 L.Ed. 248 (1954) ). We review de novo the legal standards that the district court has applied but review for abuse of discretion the court's ultimate decision to deny the writ. See Porcelli v. United States , 404 F.3d 157 , 158 (2d Cir. 2005).

II. Coram Nobis Relief

The sole issue on appeal is whether the district court improperly denied Doe's coram nobis petition. While the Government's agreement with Doe below might normally preclude it from opposing Doe now, see, e.g. , Steagald v. United States , 451 U.S. 204

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915 F.3d 905, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doe-v-united-states-ca2-2019.