State v. Reyes

989 So. 2d 770, 2008 WL 508681
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 27, 2008
Docket2007 KA 1811
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 989 So. 2d 770 (State v. Reyes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Reyes, 989 So. 2d 770, 2008 WL 508681 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

989 So.2d 770 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Gabriel Dominguez REYES.

No. 2007 KA 1811.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

February 27, 2008.
Rehearing Denied July 14, 2008.

*772 Doug Moreau, District Attorney, Dylan C. Alge, Assistant District Attorney, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for Appellee, State of Louisiana.

Katherine M. Franks, Abita Springs, Louisiana, for Appellant, Gabriel D. Reyes.

Before PARRO, KUHN and DOWNING, JJ.

KUHN, J.

Defendant, Gabriel Dominguez Reyes, was charged by bill of information with operating a vehicle without lawful presence in the United States, a violation of La. R.S. 14:100.13. Defendant filed a motion to quash the bill of information, arguing La. R.S. 14:100.13 is not an enforceable statute as it is preempted by federal law. Following a hearing, the trial court denied the motion. Defendant withdrew his former plea and entered a plea of guilty as charged, reserving his right to appeal the trial court's ruling. Defendant was sentenced to six months imprisonment without hard labor.[1] Defendant now appeals, assigning error to the trial court's denial of the motion to quash. We affirm the conviction and sentence.

FACTS

The following facts were presented as a basis for the guilty plea. On or about November 15, 2006, law enforcement officers observed defendant operating a vehicle as he ran a stop sign. The officers conducted a traffic stop. Defendant was unable to produce a valid driver's license and said that he did not have one. Further, defendant did not have any documents demonstrating that he was legally present in the United States.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

In his sole assignment of error, defendant contends that the enforcement of La. R.S. 14:100.13, as written, constitutes an impermissible exercise of the state's police power and violates the federal government's authority to regulate immigration in contravention of U.S. Const. art. VI, cl. 2. Defendant also asserts the statute is inconsistent with its stated purpose. Defendant claims that the statute subjects all foreigners in this state — even citizens and permanent residents — to additional scrutiny and possible arrest for not carrying immigration documents. Defendant questions whether the statute impinges on the federal government's plenary power to regulate immigration by providing sanctions for behavior not deemed criminal under the federal scheme or by providing for sanctions in excess of that mandated by the federal immigration statutes. Defendant urges that Congress controls the field of immigration regulation and suggests that the Louisiana statute exceeds the requirements *773 of federal immigration law without any showing of a compelling state interest. Finally, defendant avers that La. R.S. 14:100.13 interferes with the federal scheme for identifying individuals subject to removal and reporting them to the federal authorities.

Noting that states retain authority to enact criminal laws, the State maintains that the trial court was correct in finding La. R.S. 14:100.13 is not preempted by federal law and points out that no deportation determination is required by La. R.S. 14:100.13. Urging that nothing in the REAL ID Act of 2005[2] expressly or impliedly prohibits a state from prosecuting a person for illegally driving a vehicle, the State asserts that federal immigration law does not prohibit its criminalizing of conduct that it believes to be a legitimate terror threat.

The Supremacy Clause declares that federal law "shall be the supreme Law of the Land [,] ... any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding." U.S. Const. art. VI, cl. 2. The Supremacy Clause requires invalidation of any state legislation that burdens or conflicts in any manner with any federal laws or treaties. Thus, the determination rests on whether a state's law impermissibly interferes with federal law and is, therefore, preempted. The power to regulate immigration is unquestionably exclusively a federal power. Nevertheless, federal law does not automatically preempt every state enactment which in any way deals with aliens. See De Canas v. Bica, 424 U.S. 351, 355, 96 S.Ct. 933, 936, 47 L.Ed.2d 43(1976).

In De Canas, the Supreme Court set forth three tests to be used in determining whether a state statute related to immigration is preempted: (1) constitutional preemption, (2) field preemption, and (3) conflict preemption. If a statute fails any one of the three tests, it is preempted by federal law. League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) v. Wilson, 908 F.Supp. 755, 768 (C.D.Cal.1995) outlines the tests provided in De Canas as follows:

Under the first test, the Court must determine whether a state statute is a "regulation of immigration." Since the "[p]ower to regulate immigration is unquestionably exclusively a federal power," [De Canas v. Bica, 424 U.S.] at 354, 96 S.Ct. at 936, any state statute which regulates immigration is "constitutionally proscribed." [De Canas, 424 U.S.] at 356, 96 S.Ct. at 936.
Under the second test, even if the state law is not an impermissible regulation of immigration, it may still be preempted if there is a showing that it was the "clear and manifest purpose of Congress" to effect a "complete ouster of state power — including state power to promulgate laws not in conflict with federal laws" with respect to the subject matter which the statute attempts to regulate. [De Canas, 424 U.S.] at 357, 96 S.Ct. at 937. In other words, under the second test, a statute is preempted where Congress intended to "occupy the field" which the statute attempts to regulate.
Under the third test, a state law is preempted if it "stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the full purposes and objectives of Congress." [De Canas, 424 U.S.] at 363, 96 *774 S.Ct. at 940 (citing Hines v. Davidowitz, 312 U.S. 52, 67, 61 S.Ct. 399, 404, 85 L.Ed. 581 (1941)). Stated differently, a statute is preempted under the third test if it conflicts with federal law making compliance with both state and federal law impossible. Michigan Canners & Freezers v. Agricultural Marketing and Bargaining Board, 467 U.S. 461, 469, 104 S.Ct. 2518, 2523, 81 L.Ed.2d 399 (1984); Florida Lime & Avocado Growers v. Paul, 373 U.S. 132, 142-43, 83 S.Ct. 1210, 1217-18, 10 L.Ed.2d 248 (1963).

The issue in the case before us presents a question of law and is, therefore, subject to de novo review. State v. Smith, 99-2094, p. 3 (La.7/6/00), 766 So.2d 501, 504. In interpreting La. R.S. 14:100.13, we consider two established rules of statutory construction: (1) all criminal statutes are construed strictly, and (2) the words of a statute must be given their everyday meaning. See State v. Kujawa, 05-0470, p. 7 (La.App. 1st Cir.2/22/06), 929 So.2d 99, 104, writ denied, 06-0669 (La.10/6/06), 938 So.2d 65. La. R.S. 14:100.13 provides:

A. No alien student or nonresident alien shall operate a motor vehicle in the state without documentation demonstrating that the person is lawfully present in the United States.

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Bluebook (online)
989 So. 2d 770, 2008 WL 508681, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reyes-lactapp-2008.