People v. Corrales-Castro

412 P.3d 701
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 26, 2015
DocketCourt of Appeals No. 14CA0049
StatusPublished

This text of 412 P.3d 701 (People v. Corrales-Castro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Corrales-Castro, 412 P.3d 701 (Colo. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Opinion by JUDGE BERGER

¶ 1 Defendant, Osvaldo Corrales-Castro, appeals the district court's order denying his motion to withdraw his plea of guilty to the crime of criminal impersonation. The district court held that it lacked jurisdiction to consider the motion because the plea had already been withdrawn pursuant to a successfully completed deferred judgment.

¶ 2 We hold that, when, as here, a guilty plea that is withdrawn after the successful completion of a deferred judgment may nevertheless result in the removal of a defendant from the United States (or the defendant's inability to re-enter the country), Crim. P. 32(d) authorizes the defendant to challenge the constitutionality of the plea, irrespective of its prior withdrawal. Accordingly, we reverse the district court's order and remand for further proceedings.

I. Relevant Facts

¶ 3 In 2009, defendant pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation and driving under the influence (DUI). The district court imposed a one-year deferred judgment and sentence (deferred judgment) on the criminal impersonation count, and one year of probation on the DUI count.

¶ 4 In 2010, defendant successfully completed the conditions of the deferred judgment and probation. The district court withdrew the guilty plea on the criminal impersonation count, dismissed that count, and closed the case.

¶ 5 In 2013, defendant filed a Crim. P. 32(d) motion to withdraw his guilty plea to criminal impersonation, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. Specifically, defendant alleged that his defense counsel had failed to inform him that his guilty plea to criminal impersonation could have negative federal immigration consequences, even if he successfully completed the conditions of the deferred judgment. The district court denied the motion, holding that it lacked jurisdiction to consider defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea.

II. Standard of Review

¶ 6 While normally we review the denial of a Crim. P. 32(d) motion for an abuse of discretion, People v. Martinez, 188 Colo. 169, 171-72, 533 P.2d 926, 928 (1975), here the district court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to consider defendant's motion. Whether a district court has jurisdiction over a matter is a question of law that we review de novo. People v. Maser, 2012 CO 41, ¶ 10, 278 P.3d 361.

III. Analysis

¶ 7 We begin with several fundamental propositions, none of which is disputed by either party.

*704¶ 8 First, "[b]efore deciding whether to plead guilty, a defendant is entitled to the effective assistance of competent counsel." Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356, 364, 130 S.Ct. 1473, 176 L.Ed.2d 284 (2010) (internal quotation marks omitted); see also Missouri v. Frye, 566 U.S. 134, 142, 132 S.Ct. 1399, 1407, 182 L.Ed.2d 379 (2012) ; Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 686, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984) ; People v. Roybal, 618 P.2d 1121, 1126 (Colo. 1980).

¶ 9 Second, when the terms of a relevant immigration statute are "succinct, clear, and explicit" in defining the immigration consequences of a plea to a particular charge, counsel must give "correct advice." Padilla, 559 U.S. at 368-69, 130 S.Ct. 1473 ; accord People v. Kazadi, 284 P.3d 70, 73 (Colo. App. 2011) ( Kazadi I ), aff'd, 2012 CO 73, 291 P.3d 16 ( Kazadi II ). When the law is not succinct, clear, and explicit, "a criminal defense attorney need do no more than advise a noncitizen client that pending criminal charges may carry a risk of adverse immigration consequences." Padilla, 559 U.S. at 368-69, 130 S.Ct. 1473 ; accord People v. Vicente-Sontay, 2014 COA 175, ¶ 28, 361 P.3d 1046 ; Kazadi I, 284 P.3d at 73. In the deportation context, "counsel must inform her client whether his plea carries a risk of deportation" because the "seriousness of deportation as a consequence of a criminal plea, and the concomitant impact of deportation on families" demand no less under the Sixth Amendment. Padilla, 559 U.S. at 374, 130 S.Ct. 1473 ; see also Kazadi II, ¶ 31 (Bender, C.J., dissenting).

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Related

Padilla v. Kentucky
559 U.S. 356 (Supreme Court, 2010)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
United States v. Michael Scott Wells
430 F.2d 225 (Ninth Circuit, 1970)
United States v. Carlos A. Sanclemente-Bejarano
861 F.2d 206 (Ninth Circuit, 1988)
Missouri v. Frye
132 S. Ct. 1399 (Supreme Court, 2012)
Chaidez v. United States
133 S. Ct. 1103 (Supreme Court, 2013)
Doenges-Long Motors, Inc. v. Gillen
328 P.2d 1077 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1958)
People v. Martinez
533 P.2d 926 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1975)
People v. Wiedemer
852 P.2d 424 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1993)
People v. Roybal
618 P.2d 1121 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1980)
Hammond v. State
665 So. 2d 970 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1995)
Brown v. State
660 So. 2d 235 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1995)
People v. Maser
2012 CO 41 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2012)
Wood v. People
255 P.3d 1136 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2011)
Crumb v. People
230 P.3d 726 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2010)
People v. Sherrod
204 P.3d 466 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2009)
Brown v. Silvern
141 P.3d 871 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2005)
People v. Thomas
195 P.3d 1162 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2008)
Rumsfeld v. Hamdi
337 F.3d 335 (Fourth Circuit, 2003)
Pinho v. Atty Gen USA
432 F.3d 193 (Third Circuit, 2005)

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Bluebook (online)
412 P.3d 701, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-corrales-castro-coloctapp-2015.