United States v. Daniel Proa-Tovar

945 F.2d 1450, 91 Daily Journal DAR 11456, 91 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 7482, 1991 U.S. App. LEXIS 21767, 1991 WL 180768
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 18, 1991
Docket90-50373
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 945 F.2d 1450 (United States v. Daniel Proa-Tovar) 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
United States v. Daniel Proa-Tovar, 945 F.2d 1450, 91 Daily Journal DAR 11456, 91 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 7482, 1991 U.S. App. LEXIS 21767, 1991 WL 180768 (9th Cir. 1991).

Opinions

GOODWIN, Circuit Judge:

Daniel Proa-Tovar appeals his felony conviction for being a deported alien in the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326 (1988). Relying on United States v. Mendoza-Lopez, 481 U.S. 828, 107 S.Ct. 2148, 95 L.Ed.2d 772 (1987), Proa-Tovar collaterally challenges the deportation order upon which his section 1326 violation is predicated. He argues that his February 1989 deportation could not be the basis of his November 1989 criminal offense because the immigration judge had denied him direct judicial review of the underlying deportation.

In December 1988, Proa-Tovar pled guilty in state court to felony possession of cocaine for sale. The conviction made him eligible for deportation. ' On February 24, 1989, following a hearing conducted by an Immigration and Naturalization Service administrative law judge, he was ordered deported. He did not appeal.

On November 2, 1989, Proa-Tovar was found again in San Diego. The police turned him over to immigration officials and he was promptly indicted by a federal grand jury for being present in the United States following deportation, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. The district court denied his motion to quash the indictment on Mendoza-Lopez grounds, and he appeals his resulting conviction.

Proa-Tovar argues that the deportation hearing in February effectively denied him opportunity for judicial review because he did not knowingly waive his right to appeal the deportation order.

I. The right to collateral review

We first determine whether, in a section 1326 criminal prosecution, a defendant can make a collateral attack on the underlying deportation order. Mendoza-Lopez holds that where defects in an administrative proceeding have effectively foreclosed direct judicial review of that proceeding, an alternative means of obtaining judicial review must be made available before the administrative order may be used as conclusive proof of an element of a criminal offense. Mendoza-Lopez, 481 U.S. at 838, 107 S.Ct. at 2155; see also United States v. Villa-Fabela, 882 F.2d 434, 438 (9th Cir.1989).

If waiver of the right to appeal a deportation proceeding was not knowingly and intelligently made, direct judicial review has been effectively denied and use of the deportation order as the necessary predicate to a section 1326 offense may be [1452]*1452collaterally challenged. Mendoza-Lopez, 481 U.S. at 839-40, 107 S.Ct. at 2155-56.

II. Was there a knowing waiver?

Proa-Tovar alleges that the waiver of his right to appeal the deportation proceeding was not knowing and considered. The government argues that the record of the deportation proceeding indicates that Proa-Tovar’s waiver was valid.

At the opening of the hearing twelve detainees appeared before the immigration judge in response to show cause orders. The immigration judge had appointed a nearby lawyer to act as counsel, without pay, for the group of aliens. The appointed counsel stated that he had interviewed each detainee and that each had consented to representation.

The immigration judge caused a number of routine questions to be put to the group, in Spanish. The immigration judge then inquired of counsel: “[a]nd can you tell that they do understand the nature of this hearing or the rights they have.” Counsel responded, “Yes, that’s correct your hon- or.” At the conclusion of the hearing the English speaking judge, through an interpreter, offered each Spanish speaking detainee an opportunity to make a final statement opposing or questioning the deportation decision. All declined.

The judge then explained that eleven of the twelve detainees would be deported and one would be granted voluntary departure. The judge asked the eleven whether they understood the deportation order and the reasons for it. The judge asked the detainees to “answer together” and, as a group, they responded “yes.”

Finally the immigration judge questioned government counsel and appointed counsel as follows:

Judge: Alright now, attorneys, you have both heard the decision stated and ah, I must ask if there is any appeal? Mr. Siddel, do you want to make any appeal?
Attorney: No appeal with [sic].

The immigration judge concluded the hearing with the following statement:

Judge: To all of the respondents. Gentlemen, there will be no appeal in your cases. So the decision in your case is final. I promise you will all go to Mexico tonight and am giving you and the attorneys copies of the decision.

In Mendoza-Lopez, the Supreme Court questioned the use of an administrative order to establish an element of a criminal offense. Mendoza-Lopez, 481 U.S. at 838 n. 15, 107 S.Ct. at 2155 n. 15. The Court stressed that such a practice could only be legitimized by adequate judicial review of the administrative action. Id. We therefore require strong evidence to ensure that a valid waiver of the right to appeal exists in the deportation record. “Courts should ‘indulge every reasonable presumption against waiver....’” Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 525, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 2189, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972) (quoting Aetna Ins. Co. v. Kennedy, 301 U.S. 389, 393, 57 S.Ct. 809, 812, 81 L.Ed. 1177 (1937)) (discussing the Court’s view on waiver of constitutional rights).

The judge’s generalized questions to appointed counsel and to the roomful of alien detainees regarding whether the detainees understood their rights were inadequate without more to guarantee that each detainee was made aware of his right to judicial review and that his waiver of judicial review was a product of his knowing and considered decision. The immigration judge failed to explain to the detainees their absolute right to appeal, as is customary at such hearings. The quoted exchange with counsel regarding whether any of the detainees wished to appeal reveals no input from any of the twelve aliens present. We cannot conclude from the record that the decision to waive the detainees’ appeal rights was anything more than the independent decision of Proa-Tovar’s appointed counsel. There was no knowing waiver.

III. Effect of counsel’s “waiver”

The government argues that representation by counsel, absent proof of ineffective assistance, guarantees the propriety of the waiver. The record in this case precludes [1453]*1453the government from relying on counsel’s waiver. The inquiries, standards, and purposes of the law of ineffective assistance of counsel differ markedly from those governing waivers.

Although broad deference is accorded the many strategic decisions made by counsel throughout the course of representation, the validity of a waiver is subject to exacting scrutiny.

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945 F.2d 1450, 91 Daily Journal DAR 11456, 91 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 7482, 1991 U.S. App. LEXIS 21767, 1991 WL 180768, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-daniel-proa-tovar-ca9-1991.