Renteria-Morales v. Mukasey

532 F.3d 949, 2008 WL 2676073
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJuly 9, 2008
Docket04-74742, 06-73283
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 532 F.3d 949 (Renteria-Morales v. Mukasey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Renteria-Morales v. Mukasey, 532 F.3d 949, 2008 WL 2676073 (9th Cir. 2008).

Opinions

Opinion by Judge IKUTA; Partial Concurrence and Partial Dissent by Judge TALLMAN

IKUTA, Circuit Judge:

The two petitions for review consolidated in this opinion1 raise the question whether a conviction for failure to appear in court in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 31462 is [952]*952categorically an aggravated felony as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(S)3 or 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(T).4 Applying the categorical approach prescribed by Taylor v. United States, 495 U.S. 575, 600-02, 110 S.Ct. 2143, 109 L.Ed.2d 607 (1990), we conclude that a violation of § 3146 is not categorically an aggravated felony under either provision. Applying the modified categorical approach to the two petitions before us, we determine that the prior conviction of one petitioner qualifies as an aggravated felony and the prior conviction of the other petitioner does not.

I

Irma Renteria Morales (Renteria) and Maria Jesus Rivera de Alvarado (Rivera), both natives and citizens of Mexico, petition for review of the affirmance by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) of a final order of removal.

A

Renteria became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 1990. On January 13, 1998, Renteria pleaded guilty to violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3146. The judgment entered by the district court stated: “The defendant is convicted of the offense(s) of: violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 3146, Bail Jumping, as charged in the Information filed herein.” The information stated:

That on or about July 20, 1992, at or near Tucson, in the District of Arizona, IRMA LINDA RENTERIA-MOR-ALES, after having been released on or about March 2, 1992, pursuant to Chapter 207 of Title 18 of the United States Code, in connection with a charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21 United States Code § 841(a)(1), an offense punishable by imprisonment for a term of not more than five (5) years, and having been directed to appear before the District Court of Arizona at Tucson, Arizona, on July 20, 1992, wilfully did fail to appear as required;

All in violation of Title 18 United States Code Section 3146.

On March 3, 1998, the government filed a notice to appear alleging that Renteria was subject to removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii)5 due to her violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3146. The government claimed that a violation of § 3146 constituted an aggravated felony for purposes of 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(T). Over Rente-ria’s objections, the immigration judge (IJ) agreed with the government’s interpretation of § 1101(a)(43)(T) and pretermitted Renteria’s application for cancellation of removal. See 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(a)(3). Renteria appealed to the BIA, which affirmed the IJ’s determination without an [953]*953opinion. Renteria timely filed a petition for review to this court.

B

Rivera became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 1967. In 1973, she was indicted by a grand jury for conspiracy to illegally import heroin, illegal importation of heroin, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Rivera pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. While on bail, she fled the United States. The government filed a second indictment charging Rivera with violation of 18 U.S.C. § 31506 in August 1973. In 2004, Rivera was arrested while crossing the border from Mexico into the United States based on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear. Rivera pleaded guilty to a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3146, and the government dismissed the drug charges. Rivera was sentenced to a $100.00 assessment and a sentence of twelve months and one day.

In 2005, the government filed a notice to appear alleging that Rivera was subject to removal on two grounds: (1) under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) for being an alien who committed a crime of moral turpitude, and (2) under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(C), for being an alien who “the Attorney General knows or has reason to believe ... is or has been a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or col-luder with others in the illicit trafficking in any such controlled ... substance.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(C)®. On November 14, 2005, Rivera filed an application for cancellation of removal.

The IJ sustained the two charges of removability and pre-termitted and denied the application for cancellation of removal on the ground that Rivera’s conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 3146 qualified as an aggravated felony under 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(S) as “an offense relating to obstruction of justice.” See 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(a)(3).

Rivera appealed to the BIA challenging only the denial of her application for cancellation of removal. The BIA affirmed the IJ in a reasoned opinion, agreeing “that the respondent was convicted of an aggravated felony because the offense of bail jumping falls within the definition of an obstruction of justice crime under section 101(a)(43)(S) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.” Rivera timely filed a petition for review to this court.

We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a) to review the legal question whether a conviction underlying an order of removal or the denial of relief constitutes an aggravated felony. See Li v. Ashcroft, 389 F.3d 892, 895 (9th Cir.2004). If the BIA conducted “an independent review ... we review the BIA’s decision and not that of the IJ.” Sinotes-Cruz v. Gonzales, 468 F.3d 1190

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Renteria-Morales v. Mukasey
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Bluebook (online)
532 F.3d 949, 2008 WL 2676073, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/renteria-morales-v-mukasey-ca9-2008.