Reyes v. Bonnar

362 F. Supp. 3d 762
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedJanuary 29, 2019
DocketCase No. 18-cv-07429-SK
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 362 F. Supp. 3d 762 (Reyes v. Bonnar) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reyes v. Bonnar, 362 F. Supp. 3d 762 (N.D. Cal. 2019).

Opinion

SALLIE KIM, United States Magistrate Judge

Petitioner, Raul Lopez Reyes ("Petitioner"), has filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. Petitioner is in Respondent's custody pursuant to an order by an immigration judge ("IJ") denying him release on bond and denying him the opportunity to have a second bond hearing. Petitioner contends that the IJ erred in the determination to not give him another bond hearing.

Petitioner previously moved for a temporary restraining order. The Court granted in part and denied in part that motion and ordered the IJ to reconsider the request for a second bond hearing in accordance with the parameters set by the Court. The IJ reconsidered and again denied Petitioner's request for a second bond hearing, which Petitioner requested because he alleged a material change in circumstances.

*766Petitioner now moves to enforce the Court's prior order or, in the alternative, for a temporary restraining order to require a second bond hearing. Having considered the parties' papers, relevant legal authority, and the record in this case, the Court HEREBY GRANTS Petitioner's motion for a temporary restraining order seeking another bond hearing.

BACKGROUND

Petitioner is a native of Guatemala, who has lived in the United States for almost thirty years. (Dkt. 1 (Petition), ¶ 2.) He filed for asylum in 1993. (Id. , ¶ 24.) In 1998, he was ordered removed in absentia. He lacked notice of the removal proceeding. (Id. )

He has numerous close family members, including a daughter who is a United States citizen, who lives in the Bay Area. (Id. , ¶ 2.) He has been seeking relief in immigration proceedings since 1993. (Id. )

A. Events Prior to Initial Bond Hearing.

On February 6, 2008, Petitioner pled guilty to an assault committed in September 2007. He was convicted of this felony and sentenced to 120 days, but the sentence was suspended. (Id. , ¶ 26.) Petitioner spent three days in jail for this incident. (Id. )

On June 19, 2008, Petitioner was taken into DHS custody based on the removal order that had been entered in absentia. Petitioner successfully moved to reopen the removal proceedings and was released from DHS custody on a bond on July 29, 2008. (Id. , ¶ 27.) His asylum and removal matters are still being processed. (Id. , ¶¶ 27-31.)

Petitioner suffered some personal hardships and began to drink more alcohol than he had previously. (Id. , ¶ 33.) He was arrested three times for driving under the influence ("DUI"). The first time was on May 30, 2010; the second time was on September 7, 2014; and the third time was on May 12, 2016 and included a conviction for giving false information to a police officer and driving on a suspended license. (Id. , ¶ 33.) All three convictions were misdemeanors. (Id. ) Petitioner was sentenced to a total of 262 days for all three convictions but was incarcerated for only six weeks total. (Id. )

Petitioner has been detained in the physical custody of Respondents and the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") since he presented himself to check in with ICE on March 22, 2017. (Id. , ¶ 3.)

One month after arriving at the Contra Costa West County Detention Facility, Petitioner signed up for a substance-abuse and behavioral education program called "DEUCE." Petitioner was unable to enroll in the program until August 2017. (Id. , ¶ 36.) Approximately three weeks later, Petitioner had a bond hearing on September 14, 2017. (Id. , ¶ 34.)

B. Initial Bond hearing.

At the hearing, Petitioner testified at first that he was not an alcoholic. (Id. , ¶ 34.) He also testified that the court-ordered rehabilitation classes he had attended were not effective. He made no commitment to join an impatient program upon release. (Id. )

Dr. Susan Wilde, a psychologist, testified at the hearing as an expert. (Id. , ¶ 36.) In her opinion, Petitioner had an alcohol use disorder but was amenable to rehabilitation. (Id. ) She further testified that she believed that the court-ordered DUI classes that Petitioner took after his DUI convictions were ineffective but that the DEUCE program, which Petitioner had just started attending, was "excellent" and often led individuals towards on-going rehabilitation.

*767(Id. ) Petitioner also submitted a declaration from his wife which did not address any commitment by her to support Petitioner in abstaining from alcohol. (Id. , ¶ 37).

The IJ rejected Petitioner's request for release on bond. She stated orally that her decision was based on Petitioner's extensive criminal history, specifically his three convictions for DUI. (Id. , ¶ 38.) She further stated that it was unclear if Petitioner understands that he has a drinking problem. She found that DHS had shown by clear and convincing evidence that Petitioner was a danger to persons and property in the United States and thus was not eligible for bond. (Id. )

The IJ issued a "bond memorandum" on October 24, 2017, in which she noted that Dr. Susan Wilde testified as an expert that she (Dr. Wilde) believed Petitioner has a problem with alcohol and was amenable to rehabilitation if he entered an appropriate program. (Id. , ¶ 39; Dkt. 11-1.) The IJ also noted that Petitioner was convicted of a felony and three DUI offenses. The IJ stated that she considered Petitioner's criminal history and "his equivocal sworn testimony regarding whether he needs help and intends to stop drinking." (Id. ) She concluded that Petitioner's "recent and repeated criminal history involving alcohol" showed that he is a current danger to the community. (Id. ) On appeal, on February 27, 2018, the Board of Immigration Appeals ("the BIA") affirmed the IJ's determination that Petitioner is a danger to the community. (Dkt. 1, ¶ 40.)

C. Events After the Initial Bond hearing.

On June 9, 2018, Petitioner's daughter demonstrated outside the detention facility and garnered national attention. (Id. , ¶¶ 6, 43.) Less than two weeks later, on June 22, 2018, Petitioner was transferred to a detention facility in Aurora, Colorado, more than 1200 miles from his family and pro bono counsel. (Id. , ¶¶ 6, 44.) Petitioner's family members formerly visited him regularly, at least once a month, but have been unable to visit him since the transfer. (Id. , ¶ 50.) His attorneys also have not been able to visit him and obtain expeditious signatures since his transfer. (Id. )

On July 26, 2018, a California court heard testimony regarding the circumstances of Petitioner's conviction for assault and reduced the sentence from a felony to a misdemeanor. (Id.

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362 F. Supp. 3d 762, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reyes-v-bonnar-cand-2019.