Ex Parte Safiq Karedia

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 15, 2013
Docket03-11-00831-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Ex Parte Safiq Karedia (Ex Parte Safiq Karedia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ex Parte Safiq Karedia, (Tex. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN

NO. 03-11-00831-CR NO. 03-11-00832-CR

Ex parte Safiq Karedia

FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, 147TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT NOS. D-1-DC-08-300752-A & D-1-DC-08-300753-A HONORABLE CLIFFORD BROWN, JUDGE PRESIDING

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Safiq Karedia appeals the denial of his applications for writs of habeas corpus.

Karedia pleaded guilty in 2008 to a charge of trademark counterfeiting in an amount

between $20,000 and $100,000 and a charge of engaging in organized criminal activity. He was

placed on deferred-adjudication community supervision. The trial court later revoked his community

supervision, adjudicated him guilty, and assessed a ten-year prison term suspended for eight years

of community supervision. Karedia filed these applications for writs of habeas corpus, claiming

that his original plea was not knowing or voluntary because his plea counsel provided ineffective

assistance. He also contends that the trial court erred by refusing to hold a contested hearing on his

habeas applications and that the affidavit supporting the State’s opposition to his applications is

invalid because the notary has an interest in the outcome of this suit. We will affirm the trial court’s

denials of the applications. BACKGROUND

When Karedia was four years old, he and his family entered the United States

from India in 1985 on tourist visas. His father was killed while working at a convenience store,

and Karedia, his brother, and their mother overstayed their visas. Karedia and his brother applied

for permanent residency status in 2004, and their mother moved toward obtaining full citizenship.

That same year, Karedia and his family opened a store at which they all worked. Karedia was listed

as the owner.

Police began investigating the store for selling pirated compact and digital video discs

as well as merchandise with counterfeit trademarks. In May 2006, police raided the store and seized

merchandise, but filed no charges. Karedia hired attorney Malcolm Nettles. After a second raid in

November 2007, police arrested Karedia, his brother, and their mother. Nettles agreed to represent

all three family members.

Karedia pleaded guilty in 2008 to trademark counterfeiting and organized criminal

activity. He signed a plea of guilty that stated in relevant part as follows: “If you are not a citizen

of the United States of America, a plea of Guilty or nolo contendere for this offense may result in

your deportation, your exclusion from admission to this country, or your denial of naturalization

under federal law.” At the plea hearing, the court told him that, “[i]n the event you are not a citizen

of the United States of America, your plea of guilty here this morning could result in deportation,

the denial of admission to this country and other consequences with the Homeland Security Agency.”

The prosecutor stated and Karedia agreed that he understood that cases against “two relatives” would

“be disposed of at the sentencing on this case.” The trial court deferred adjudication and placed him

on community supervision for seven years.

2 In 2010, the State moved to revoke Karedia’s community supervision. At the hearing,

Karedia agreed that he had fully understood all the terms and conditions of community supervision.

He pleaded true to the allegation that he violated those terms and the law by knowingly possessing

an 8-liner designed for gambling purposes, using a building as a gambling place, and conspiring

with his mother and brother to commit these acts. The court revoked his probation, adjudicated him

guilty in the 2008 case, and imposed a sentence of ten years in prison, but suspended service of the

sentence and placed him on community supervision for eight years.

Karedia filed these applications for writs of habeas corpus, asserting that his plea was

neither knowing nor voluntary because he did not fully understand his rights and the consequences

of his plea due to his counsel’s ineffectiveness. He contended that his 2008 plea counsel was

ineffective in two ways: (1) counsel misinformed Karedia that his guilty plea would have no adverse

immigration consequences if he abided by his probationary terms, and (2) counsel was compromised

by the conflict of interest from his simultaneous representation of Karedia’s brother and mother

on related charges. Karedia attached affidavits from himself and his mother in support of these

allegations. He asked the court to reverse his convictions based on the 2008 plea. The State

answered the applications, relying on an affidavit from attorney Nettles contradicting Karedia’s

claims regarding his performance. Nettles’s affidavit was notarized by his wife.

The trial court considered the merits of the applications based on the documents filed

and on personal knowledge. The court made the following findings relevant to this issue:

(h) The record reflects that Applicant was informed both orally and in writing that if he is not a citizen, a plea of guilty may result in deportation.

(i) Applicant signed the plea document, affirming that he understood the document and that his counsel, Mr. Nettles, read and explained the document to him.

3 ....

(k) At the plea hearing, the Court orally informed Applicant that he could face immigration consequences if he was not a U.S. citizen.

(1) Applicant expressed no concern to the Court at the time he entered his plea and directly informed the Court that he had reviewed the plea documents with his attorney.

....

(n) Mr. Nettles has practiced criminal law for more than 30 years.

(o) Mr. Nettles denies that he misinformed Applicant about the immigration consequences his plea would have on his status.

(p) Mr. Nettles further believed that Applicant had an immigration attorney advising him as to those consequences as well.

(q) Mr. Nettles explains that all parties—Applicant, his mother, and brother consented to the course of action taken.

(r) Mr. Nettles followed Applicant’s instructions of obtaining dismissals of the charges against his mother and brother. This was especially important to Applicant since his mother was in the process of obtaining citizenship.

(s) This Court is familiar with Mr. Nettles and finds his statement credible.

(t) Considering this record as a whole, including the plea documents, the transcribed plea hearing, as well as Mr. Nettles’[s] affidavit, this Court finds that Applicant was aware that his guilty pleas would impact his immigration status.

(u) Further, Applicant has not convinced this Court that a decision to reject the plea offer would have been rational, especially since to challenge the State’s case would have required shifting blame onto his own mother.

(x) Finally, Applicant’s subsequent conduct of violating the conditions of his release by possessing 8-liners and conspiring with his mother and brother to keep a place of gambling not only reveals that the fear of deportation was not Applicant’s main concern but further diminishes the merit of the claims he now raises.

4 The court also made conclusions of law, including the following:

(ii) Applicant has failed to meet his burden of proof and his self-serving statements lack credibility. The record reflects that he was admonished and his attorney confirms that Applicant entered his pleas knowing that he would face immigration consequences.

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Ex Parte Safiq Karedia, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ex-parte-safiq-karedia-texapp-2013.