T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T PAST OR ROM ER O ROD RI GU EZ , P as t or R od ri gu ez , P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J R ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 08- 74054 A ge nc yN o. A 094- 335- 262 ME MOR AN DU M *

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the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d J ul y15, 2010 S e a tt l e , W a s hi ngt on B efo re: R E IN H A R D T , G R A B E R , an d P A E Z , C i rcu i tJu d g es.

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aB oa r d of Im m i g rat i o n A p p eal s’ (B IA ) d eci si o n affi rm i n g th e Im m i g rat i o n Ju d g e’ s (IJ’ s) 

# FI LED JU L 27 2010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSP age 2 of 3

deni al of w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al and rel i ef un der the C on vent i on A gai nstT orture ( C A T ) . W e D E N Y the pe t i t i on. T he B I A de ni e d R om e r o’ s appl i c a t i on f orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l on the grou nd thathe fa i l ed t o t es t i fycr edi bl y i n sup po rtof hi s app l i ca t i on . R om er o c ont e nds tha tthe B I A ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i on w a s nots upport e d by s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . W e d is a g r e e . T he B I A r e vi e w e d the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i on f orc l e a re rr or a nd pr ovi de d i l l us tr a t i ve e xa m pl e s f r om the I J ’ s de c i s i on t o e xpl a i n i t s c onc l us i on th a t th e I Jd id n o t c le a r lye rrin f in d in g th a t R o m e r o la c k e d c r e d ib ility . A cc o rd in g ly, w e lo o kto th e I J’s d ec isio n “as a g u id e to w h at lay b eh in d th e B IA ’s concl usi on . ” T

ekle v . Mukasey , 53 3 F . 3d 10 44 , 10 51 (9th C i r. 20 08 ) ( i nt ernal q u o ta tio n m a rk s o m itte d ) ; se e al so Morga n v. Mukasey , 5 2 9 F .3 d 1 2 0 2 , 1 2 0 6 ( 9 th C i r. 2 0 0 8 ). T h e IJ fo u n d n u m ero u s i n co n si st en ces i n R o m ero ’ s t est i m o n y, i nc l udi ng R om e r o’ s i ni t i a l f a i l ur e , w he n que s t i one d abouthi s e xpe r i e nc e s of v io le n c e in H o n d u r a s , to m e n tio n th e f a c t th a t h e h a d b e e n r ap e d a s ate e n a g e r . B e c aus e thi s i nc ons i s t e nc y , w hi c h the B I A s pe c i f i c a l l ym e nt i one d i n i t s de c i s i on, p r o v i d e s s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e f o rth e B I A’ s a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i tyd e t e rm i n a t i o n , weR om e r o a r gue s tha tthe I Ja nd B I A e rr e d byf a i l i ng t o c ons i de rthe 1 po ss i bi l i ty thatthe i ncon si st enci es i n h i s s t ory w er e the re sul tof m em ory l apse s c aus e d byhi s m e di c a t i on. T he B I A di d c ons i de rthi s pos s i bi l i ty , how e ve r , a nd agre ed w i th the IJthatthere w as no evi dence i n the re cord t o sug gestthat R om e r o’ s m e di c a t i ons w oul d a f f e c thi s m e m ory . I n hi s br i e f , R om e r o doe s not p o in t to a n ys u c h e v id e n c e . I n s te a d , h e r e lie s o n h is a tto rn e y ’s a s s e rtio n d u r in g h is IJhear i ng that“ [R om er o i s] on a gre atdeal of m edi ca t i on and som e of thatdo es af fe cthi s m em ory and the i ncon si st enci es there appear t o b e w i th d at es . ” T he B IA a n d I Jw e r e n o t r e q u ir e d to a c c e p t th e tru th o f c o u n s e l’s u n s u p p o rte d s ta te m e n ts . P age 3 of 3 ho l d thatthe B IA di d n oterr i n fi nd i ng R om er o n otcr edi bl e. Se e W a n gv . I NS , 1 3 5 2 F .3 d 1 2 5 0 , 1 2 5 9 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . A n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf in d in g d o e s n o t p r e c lu d e e lig ib ilityf o rC A T r e lie f

. Se e Ka m a l th a s v . I

NS , 25 1 F . 3d 12 79 (9th C i r. 20 01 ). T he re cord evi dence, ho w ever , do es no tcom pel the concl usi on thati ti s m ore l i kel y than n otthatR om er o w i l l be t ortured i f r eturned t o H on du ra s. A cc ordi ng l y, w e a ff i rm the B IA ’ s deni al o f C A T r e lie f

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DE NI E D.