United States v. Scott

919 F. Supp. 2d 423, 2013 WL 335927
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 30, 2013
DocketNo. 12 Cr. 154(RJS)
StatusPublished

This text of 919 F. Supp. 2d 423 (United States v. Scott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Scott, 919 F. Supp. 2d 423, 2013 WL 335927 (S.D.N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

RICHARD J. SULLIVAN, District Judge.

Defendant Lacey Scott (“Defendant”) is charged in a two-count Indictment with (1) illegally reentering the United States after committing an aggravated felony, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §§ 1326(a) and (b)(2), and (2) being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Now before the Court is Defendant’s motion to dismiss Count One of the Indictment on the ground that he could not have reentered the United States illegally because, prior to his deportation, he derived United States citizenship from his naturalized fa[426]*426ther. For the reasons that follow, the Court disagrees and, as stated at the Court conference on January 24, 2013, denies Defendant’s motion.

I. Background

A. Facts1

Defendant was born in Jamaica on October 27, 1981 to Beverly Taylor (“Beverly”) and Duke Scott (“Duke”), who were not and have never been married to one another. (Aff. of Beverly Smith (neé Beverly Taylor), dated September 6, 2012, Doc. No. 19 (“Smith Aff.”), ¶ 3.) Defendant’s birth certificate identifies Duke as Defendant’s father. (Deck of Nicholas Schretzman, dated Sept. 7, 2012, Doc. No. 21 (“Schretzman Deck”), Ex. A.) On June 18, 1986, Duke moved to the United States and married Faithlyn Swaby (“Faithlyn”). (Schretzman Deck Ex. B; Deck of Faithlyn Scott, dated Sept. 7, 2012, Doc. 20 (“Scott Deck”), ¶ 2.)

According to Beverly, she signed a document “[i]n early 1988 ... before a Justice of the Peace in Morant Bay, Jamaica, in which [she] relinquished [her] parental rights entirely and ceded custody to Faithlyn and Duke” so that Defendant could immigrate to the United States and live with them. (Smith Aff. ¶ 5.) On February 2, 1988, when Defendant was six years old, he immigrated to the United States as a lawful permanent resident to live with his father and his stepmother. (Schretzman Decl. Ex. C; Scott Decl. ¶ 3.) On March 13, 1998, when Defendant was sixteen years old, Duke became a naturalized citizen of the United States. (Schretzman Decl. Ex. F.)

In 2005, Defendant was convicted of four federal felonies and sentenced to eighty-seven months in prison. (Decl. of P. Ian McGinley, dated Nov. 19, 2012, Doc. No. 36 (“McGinley Decl.”), Ex. 1.) At his deportation hearing, on or about August 1, 2006, Defendant expressed a desire to be deported to Jamaica as soon as possible and did not ask to consult with an attorney or legal organization about his decision. (Id. Ex. 4.) However, the Immigration Law Judge stated that if it were determined at a later time that Defendant had, in fact, derived United States citizenship from his father, the order of deportation would be void. (Id.) As a result of his convictions, Defendant was deported from the United States to Jamaica on August 29, 2006.

At some point after his deportation, Defendant reentered the United States and, on or about December 26, 2011, was arrested by officers of the New York City Police Department in the Bronx for possession of a firearm, among other crimes. At no time after his deportation and prior to his arrest had Defendant applied for permission to reenter the United States, as required by federal immigration law. (Id. Ex. 5.)

B. Procedural History

On February 15, 2012, a federal grand jury sitting in New York returned the Indictment against Defendant. (Doc. No. 1.) On September 7, 2012, Defendant filed the instant motion to dismiss Count One of the Indictment, arguing that, because he derived United States citizenship from his father under 8 U.S.C. § 1432(a) prior to his deportation, he cannot possibly be guilty of the crime of illegal reentry, as [427]*427charged in Count One.2 The motion was fully submitted as of November 5, 2012, and the Court heard oral argument on the motion on November 26, 2012. On January 24, 2013, the Court denied the motion. This memorandum sets forth the reasons for the Court’s ruling.

II. Discussion

Prior to its repeal in 2000, 8 U.S.C. § 1432(a) specified that a “child born outside of the United States of alien parents” who enters the United States acquires derivative citizenship if he meets the following conditions:

(1) The naturalization of both parents: or
(2) The naturalization of the surviving parent if one of the parents is deceased; or
(3) The naturalization of the parent having legal custody of the child when there has been a legal separation of the parents or the naturalization of the mother if the child was born out of wedlock and the paternity of the child has not been established by legitimation; and if
(4) Such naturalization takes place while such child is under the age of eighteen years; and
(5)Such child is residing in the United States pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence at the time of the naturalization of the parent last naturalized under clause (1) of this subsection, or the parent naturalized under clause (2) or (3) of this subsection, or thereafter begins to reside permanently in the United States while under the age of eighteen years.

8 U.S.C. § 1432(a) (emphasis added).3 Here, it is undisputed that, at the time when Duke became a naturalized citizen, Defendant was under the age of eighteen and lawfully residing in the United States. Defendant therefore argues that he qualifies for citizenship under § 1432(a)(3) because, at the time of Duke’s naturalization, Duke had sole custody of him and had a “legal separation” from Defendant’s mother, even though his parents were never married.4 For purposes of resolving the instant motion, the Court presumes, without' deciding, that Duke had legal custody of Defendant at the time when Duke became a naturalized citizen. However, for the reasons that follow, the Court finds that Defendant cannot demonstrate that his parents, who were never married, ever achieved a “legal separation,” as the Second Circuit has defined the term.

[428]*428A. “Legal Separation” Requirement

“A petitioner claiming derivative citizenship bears the burden of proving his eligibility by a preponderance of the evidence.” Fisher v. Mukasey, No. 08 Civ. 1812(JFB), 2008 WL 4693135, at *17 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 22, 2008); see Berenyi v. Dist. Dir., 385 U.S. 630, 637, 87 S.Ct. 666, 17 L.Ed.2d 656 (1967) (applying standard in context of petition for naturalization); Bagot v. Ashcroft, 398 F.3d 252, 256-57 (3d Cir.2005) (applying standard in context of challenge to deportation); McConney v. INS,

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647 F.3d 120 (Fourth Circuit, 2011)
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United States v. Casasola
670 F.3d 1023 (Ninth Circuit, 2012)

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