Marinelarena v. Garland, No. 14-72003 (9th Cir. 2021)
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The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of the BIA's decision denying cancellation of removal to petitioner.
The panel incorporated by reference the factual and procedural background of Marinelarena I that conspiracy under California Penal Code 182(a)(1) is overbroad but divisible as to the target crime, and that sale and transport of a controlled substance under California Health and Safety Code 11352, is overbroad and divisible as to controlled substance. The panel concluded that Pereida v. Wilkinson, 141 S. Ct. 754 (2021), is consistent with Marinelarena I, and that Petitioner failed to establish that her conviction did not involve a federally controlled substance. In regard to divisibility, the panel noted that no developments in the California Supreme Court since Marinelarena I undermined the panel's earlier divisibility analysis, and that the jury instructions relating to the conspiracy offense, as well as petitioner's underlying statute of conviction, support divisibility. In regard to the burden of proof, the panel explained that Marinelarena I is consistent with the Supreme Court's decision in Pereida and that petitioner failed to establish that her conviction did not involve a federally controlled substance. The panel declined petitioner's invitation to remand to present additional evidence. Finally, the panel reaffirmed its conclusion that a conviction expunged under CPC 1203.4 remains a "conviction" for federal immigration purposes.
Court Description: Immigration. Denying Aracely Marinelarena’s petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ denial of cancellation of removal, the panel: 1) incorporated by reference its prior holdings, in Marinelarena v. Sessions (“Marinelarena I”), 869 F.3d 780 (9th Cir. 2017), that conspiracy under California Penal Code (“CPC”) § 182(a)(1), is overbroad but divisible as to the target crime, and that sale and transport of a controlled substance under California Health and Safety Code § 11352, is overbroad and divisible as to controlled substance; 2) concluded that Pereida v. Wilkinson, 141 S. Ct. 754 (2021), is consistent with Marinelarena I, and that Petitioner failed to establish that her conviction did not involve a federally controlled substance; 3) declined Petitioner’s invitation to remand to present additional evidence; and 4) reaffirmed its conclusion that a conviction expunged under CPC § 1203.4 remains a “conviction” for federal immigration purposes. In Marinelarena I, the panel upheld the BIA’s denial of cancellation of removal but, rehearing the case en banc, the court granted the petition for review. Subsequently, the Supreme Court decided Pereida, which held that, when a statute places the burden of proof on an applicant for immigration relief to show the absence of a disqualifying conviction, and the applicant stands convicted under a divisible statute that includes some offenses that are MARINELARENA V. GARLAND 3 disqualifying and others that are not, and the record of conviction is ambiguous concerning which category fits the applicant’s crime, then the applicant has failed to carry the required burden of proof. The Court granted the petition for certiorari in this case and remanded proceedings to the en banc court, which in turn remanded the matter to the original panel. The panel incorporated by reference the portions of Marinelarena I relating to the factual and procedural background, the standard of review, and the discussion of overbreadth and divisibility. The panel also supplemented that material with the following observations and holdings. As to divisibility, the panel noted that no developments in the California Supreme Court since Marinelarena I undermined the panel’s earlier divisibility analysis, and declined Petitioner’s invitation to certify a question to that court. The panel also noted that the jury instructions relating to the conspiracy offense, as well as Petitioner’s underlying statute of conviction, support divisibility. As to burden of proof, the panel explained that Marinelarena I is consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in Pereida and, for the reasons explained in its original opinion, the panel concluded that Petitioner failed to establish that her conviction did not involve a federally controlled substance. The panel declined Petitioner’s invitation to remand for her to present additional evidence regarding the controlled substance. First, the panel explained that Petitioner never argued earlier that her conviction involved a non- disqualifying controlled substance. Second, the panel 4 MARINELARENA V. GARLAND explained that it was clear from documents outside the scope of Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13 (2005), that the offense involved was heroin, a federally controlled substance. Third, the panel explained that Petitioner declined the immigration judge’s requests to provide additional documents related to her conviction, and that the panel’s task was to review the record that was made. The panel also rejected Petitioner’s argument that she should have an opportunity to testify before an immigration judge concerning the drug involved, observing that Petitioner had had that opportunity, and that she could have raised such arguments before this court. Thus, the panel concluded that the usual rule that this court gives the agency the first chance to apply a new evidentiary standard on remand did not apply. Finally, the panel concluded that no developments in the relevant precedents, since Marinelarena I, undermined the panel’s conclusion that a conviction expunged under CPC § 1203.4 remains a “conviction” for federal immigration purposes. Concurring in part and dissenting in part, Judge Tashima concurred in the majority’s holdings on divisibility and expungement. He disagreed, however, with the decision to deny Marinelarena’s request to remand to the BIA. Judge Tashima observed that, in Pereida, the Supreme Court rejected Ninth Circuit and BIA precedent and held for the first time that an applicant for cancellation of removal may rely on a broad range of testimonial and documentary evidence to show that she was not convicted of a disqualifying offense. Judge Tashima would grant Marinelarena an opportunity to show, under this new evidentiary standard, that her California conviction does not constitute a controlled substance offense. MARINELARENA V. GARLAND 5
This opinion or order relates to an opinion or order originally issued on August 23, 2017.
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