2006 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Third C irc uit 10-20-2006 

# Mi lle r v . Atty Ge n U SA P re c e de nt i al or N on-P re c e de nt i al : N on-P re c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 05-4413

F o llow thi s and a ddit ion al works at : http://di git alc ommon s .l a w . vill anova . e du/thirdc irc uit_2006

Thi s de c i sion i s brou ght t o you for f re e and ope n a c c e s s by the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Third C irc uit at V ill anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2006 D e c i sion s by an authori z e d a dmini s trat or of V ill anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or more inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vill anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Mille r v . Atty Ge n U SA" (2006). 2006 D e cisio n s . P ape r 307. http://di git alc ommon s .l a

w . vill anova . e du/thirdc irc uit_2006/307NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N O . 05- 4413

________________ RI CHARD M I LL ER,

P eti ti o n er, v. ATTO RN EY G ENER AL O F THE UN I TED STATES

____________________________________ O n a Pet i t i on ForR evi ew of an O r der o f th e B o a rd o f

Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls ( A gencyN o. A 41- 646- 517) Im m i grat i on Judg e: H on orabl e G race A . S ease

__________________________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

O ct ober19, 2006 BEFORE: SLOV I TER, SM I TH A ND VA N A NTW ERPEN, CI RCU I T J UD GES ( Fi l ed: O ct ober20, 2006)

_________________ OP I NI ON

_________________ P E R C UR I AM Pet i t i onerR i char d M i l l er , a nat i ve and c i t i zen of J amai ca, ent er ed the U ni t ed S tat es in F eb rua ry1 9 8 8 as a P 2 2 im m igran t ( u n m arried c h il d o f a n ali en reside n t) . In Ju n e 1 9 9 3 , h e w a s c o n v icte d in th e P h ilad e lp h ia C o u rt o f C o m m o n P lea s o f

u n law f u lly carry i ng a fi r earm i n vi ol at i on of 18 Pa. C ons . St at . A nn. § 6108, and, i n Sept ember2000,2

he w as convi ct ed i n the s ame cour tof pos s es s i on of a c ontr ol l ed s ubs t ance , m ar i j uana, and pos s es s i on of a c ontr ol l ed s ubs t ance w i th i nt entt o del i ver , i n vi ol at i on of 35 Pa. C o n s . S ta t. A n n . § § 7 8 0 -1 1 3 (a )( 1 6 ) a n d (3 0 ). M ille r w a s s e n te n c e d to 2 y e a rs p ro b a tio n . B as ed on thes e convi ct i ons , the form erI m m i gr at i on & N atur al i zat i on Servi ce c om m ence d r emoval pr ocee di ngs i n O ct ober2002, char gi ng M i l l erpur s uantt o I m m i gr at i on & N at i onal i tyA ct( “I N A ”) §§ 237( a) ( 2) ( A ) ( i i i ) , ( a) ( 2) ( B ) ( i ) , and ( a) ( 2) ( C ) , 8 U . S. C . §§ 1227( a) ( 2) ( A ) ( i i i ) , ( B ) ( i ) , and ( C ) , as an al i en convi ct ed of a n aggr avat ed fe l ony , an al i en c o n v i c t e d o f

v i o l a t i n g a c o n tr o l l e d s u b s t a n c e s l a w, a n d a n a l i e n c o n v i c t e d o f a f i r e a rms o f f e n s e , re s p e c tiv e ly. A ta heari ng on A pri l 1, 20 03 , the o ri ginal Im m i grat i on Judg e assi gn ed to the case s us t ai ned the cha r ges of r emoval underI N A §§ 237( a) ( 2) ( B ) ( i ) and ( C ) . A tthatt i m e, M i l l er ’ s att orney , the fi r s tof thr ee, i ndi cat ed heri nt entt o getthe aggr avat ed fe l ony convi ct i on unders ect i on 780- 113( a) ( 30) expunged, atw hi ch t i m e s he w oul d appl yfor canc el l at i on of r emoval . M i l l erl at err et ai ned new couns el , and, ata hea r i ng on N ovember4, 2003, new couns el i ndi cat ed thathe w oul d chal l enge w hetherM i l l er ’ s drug c o n v ictio n c o n stitu ted a n a g g ra v a ted f e lo n y . M ill e r a g a in c h a n g e d a tto rn e y s, a n d , at a hear i ng on D ece m ber15, 2003 befor e a ne w I m m i gr at i on J udge, he i ndi cat ed, thr ough couns el , hi s i nt entt o appl yforvol unt arydepartur e. T he I J s peci fi cal l yas ked couns el w h at reli ef

, if an y , M il ler w as e li g ible fo r, an d co u n sel m en ti o n ed o n lyv o lun tary d e p a rtu re . T h e IJ c o n tin u e d th e h e a rin g o n e las t ti m e to g iv e n e w c o u n se l a c h a n c e to3

p re p a re , s ta tin g to h im . “ I e x p e c t yo u to b e f u lly ap p ri s e d o f

e v e ryth in g in th is c a s e . I w antanyand al l appl i cat i ons forr el i ef . . . on thatdat e. ” A . R . 122. O n J anuary28, 2004, M i l l erappea r ed w i th couns el , and couns el ar gued that M i l l er ’ s drug convi ct i on w as nota fe l ony . T he I J di s agr eed a nd found thatthe convi ct i on w as an aggr avat ed fe l onyforpurpos es of i m m i gr at i on l aw . She s us t ai ned the cha r ge of rem o v al un d er IN A § § 2 3 7 (a)(2)(A )(i ii ) an d d en ied th e a p p li ca ti o n fo r vo lun tary d e p a rtu re b e c a u se o f

th e a g g ra v a ted f

e lo n y . M ill e r w a s o rd e re d to b e re m o v e d to J a m a ic a . M ill e r a p p e a led p ro se to th e B o a rd o f Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls. H e c o n ten d e d th a t: ( 1) hi s drug convi ct i on unders ect i on 780- 113( a) ( 30) i s notan aggr avat ed fe l onyand he thus i s el i gi bl e forcanc el l at i on of r emoval underI N A § 240A ( a) ; ( 2) hi s couns el abandone d hi m i n thathe fa i l ed t o appl yforr el i ef unde rI N A § 212( h) and he in a d e q u a telyc h a llen g e d th e a g g ra v a ted f e lo n yc o n v ictio n ; an d (3 ) h e is n o t re m o v a b le underI N A §§ 237( a) ( 2) ( C ) . T he B oar d of I m m i gr at i on A ppeal s aff i rm ed w i thoutopi ni on pur s uantt o 8 C . F. R . 1003. 1( e) ( 4) on M ay11, 2004. Pr i ort o pas s age of

the R E A L I D A ctof 2005, M i l l ers oughthabea s corpus r el i ef s ever al t i m es . T he habe as pet i t i ons w er e cons ol i dat ed i n U ni t ed St at es D i s tr i ctC our tfor the M i dd l e D i stri ctof P enn sy l van i a, and transferred t o thi s C ou rtt o b e treat ed as a pet i t i on forr evi ew . W e have j ur i s di ct i on t o cons i derM i l l er ’ s cl ai m thathi s s t at e drug convi ct i on does notcont ai n the nec es s arytr aff i cki ng el ementand thus i s notan4

agg ravat ed fe l on yun der i m m i grat i on l aw . 8 U . S . C . §§ 12 52 (a) (2) (D ), (a) (2) (C ). S ee al so K amar a v. U . S. A t t orneyG ener al , 420 F. 3d 202, 209- 211 ( 3d C i r . 2005) ; B onhom etr e v. G o n z a le s , 4 1 4 F .3 d 4 4 2 , 4 4 5 -4 6 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 5 ), c e rt . d e n ie d , 1 2 6 S . C t. 1 3 6 2 (U .S . 2 0 0 6 ). W e re v iew this qu esti o n d e n o v o . S ee S m ri k o v . A sh cro ft, 3 8 7 F . 3 d 2 7 9 , 2 8 2 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 4 ). W e w ill d ism iss th e p e tit io n f o r re v iew . A “ c rim in a l alie n ” is o n e w h o is re m o v a b le f

o r h a v in g c o m m itte d c e rt a in o f f e n s e s c o v e re d in 8 U .S .C . § 1227( a) ( 2) ( A ) ( i i i ) , i ncl udi ng aggr avat ed fe l oni es . A n “aggr avat ed fe l ony ” i ncl udes “il li cittr af

fick ing in a c o n tr o ll ed su b stan ce (as d ef ined in se cti o n 8 0 2 o f T it le 21 ), in c lu d in g a d ru g tr a f

f ic k in g c ri m e (a s d e f

in e d in s e c tio n 9 2 4 (c ) o f T itle 1 8 ).” 8 U .S .C . § 11 01 (a) (43)( B ). A st at e drug c on vict i on thu s const i tutes an ag gravat ed fe l on yi f i ti s a fel onyunders t at e l aw and cont ai ns a tr aff i cki ng el ement . G erbi erv. H ol m es , 280 F. 3d 297, 312 ( 3d C i r . 2002) . T r aff i cki ng i nvol ves "the unl aw ful tr adi ng ordeal i ng of any c o n tr o lle d s u b s ta n c e ," a n d e x c lu d e s s im p le p o s s e s s io n o r t ra n s f e r w ith o u t c o n s id e ra tio n . S te e le v . B la c k m a n , 2 3 6 F .3 d 1 3 0 , 1 3 5 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ). S e c tio n 7 8 0 -1 1 3 (a )( 3 0 ) p ro v id e s in p e rt in e n t p a rtth a t “ p o s s e s s io n w ith in te n t to ... d e liv e r” a c o n tr o lle d s u b s ta n c e is a p ro h ib ite d a c t. 3 5 P a . C o n s . S ta t. A n n . § 7 8 0 -1 1 3 (a )(3 0 ). S e c tio n 7 8 0 -1 1 3 (f )(2 ) m a k e s M ill e r’s c rim e a f e lo n y . 3 5 P a . C o n s. S tat. A nn. § 780- 113( f) ( 2) . I n G ar ci a v. U . S. A t t orneyG ener al , — F. 3d — , 2006 W L 2529471 ( 3d C i r . Sept ember5, 2006) , w e hel d thatthe cr i m i nal compl ai ntm aybe5

r efe rr ed t o i n det erm i ni ng w hetheran al i en’ s s ect i on 780- 113( a) ( 30) convi ct i on i nvol ved tra f f ick in g . Id . at * 5 . T h e c rim in a l co m p lain t in M ill e r’s c a se e sta b lish e s th a t a co n fid en ti al i n fo rm an t pu rch ase d 4 p ac k ets o f m arij u an a a n d 4 P h il lyb lun ts atM il ler’s s t o r e , a n d th a ta s e a r c h o f th e p r e mi s e s r e c o v e r e d o n e S u n b e a m s c a l e a n d $ 1 3 0 0 . 0 0 . A. R. 13 9. In hi s bri ef on app eal , M i l l er as sert s that the cri m i nal com plai nt does no test abli sh thathe s ol d drugs , and, furtherm or e, the arr es t i ng offi ceradmi t t ed i n open courtthathe di d notpur chas e mar i

j uana f r om M i l l er . T hus , he ar gues , w e mustr eac h the ques t i on w hetherhi s convi ct i on cons t i tut es an aggr avat ed fe l onyunderthe " hypothet i cal fede r al f e lo n y " ro u te . G e rb ie r, 2 8 0 F .3 d a t 3 1 5 . W e conc l ude thati tdoes . T o det erm i ne w hethera s t at e drug convi ct i on qual i fi es a s a "h yp o th e tica l f

e d e ra l f e lo n y " u n d e r § 9 2 4 (c )(2 ), w e m u st lo o k to se e w h e th e r th e sta te d ru g c o n v ic tio n is p u n is h a b le a s a f e lo n yu n d e r t h e C o n tr o lle d S u b s ta n c e s A c t. I d . W hethera subst anti ve d rug of fense co ntai ned i n the C on trol l ed S ub st ances A cti s a fel on yi s contr oll ed b y18 U . S . C . § 3 55 9, w hich provides that, i f the cri m e prescr i bes a m axi m um s ent ence of m or e than one y ear , i ti s a fe l ony . T he fe der al pos s es s i on s t atut e, 21 U . S. C . § 844( a) , i s not , as M i l l erhas ar gued, the pert i nentfede r al anal og. H er e, the pert i nentfede r al anal og i s 21 U . S. C . § 841( a) , w hi ch pr ohi bi t s the know i ng ori nt ent i onal

“ p o s s e s s [ io n ] w ith in te n t to ... d is tr ib u te ” a c o n tr o lle d s u b s ta n c e , f o r e x a m p le , m a ri

ju a n a . Poss es s i on w i th i nt entt o di s tr i but e mar i j uana c arr i es a maxi m um penal tyi n exce s s of one y e a r. 2 1 U .S .C . § 8 4 1 (b )( 1 )( D ) ( p ro v id in g f o r a m a x im u m s e n te n c e o f 5 y e a rs ).H avi ng been c onvi ct ed of a n aggr avat ed fe l ony , M i l l eri s notel i gi bl e for

c a n c e lla tio n o f

re m o v a l, 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 2 9 b (a )( 3 ), o r a s e c tio n 2 1 2 (h ) w a iv e r, 8 U .S .C . § 1182( h) . W e do nothave j ur i s di ct i on overM i l l er ’ s cl ai m r egar di ng a s ect i on 212( c) w a iv e r o f

re m o v a l b e c a u s e h e f

a ile d to e x h a u s t h is a d m in is tr a tiv e re m e d ie s b e f o re th e IJ . 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 5 2 (d )(1 ). M ill e r h a s c o n ten d e d in h is R e p lyB rie f o n a p p e a l th a t h e a n d h is a tto rn e yw e re d e lib e ra telym isle d b yb o th im m ig ra tio n ju d g e s w ith re sp e c t to h is el i gi bi l i tyforw ai verof r emoval , and thus hi s r i ghtt o due pr oces s w as vi ol at ed. W e t ake th is a lleg a tio n v e ryse rio u sly , b u t w e h a v e re v iew e d th e tra n sc rip t an d f in d n o b a sis f

o r it w hat ever . T he r ecor d r efl ect s thatM i l l erw as gener ous l yaff or ded numer ous cont i nuance s , and thatthe i nform at i on s uppl i ed t o hi m bythe I J w as nei theri ncorr ectnor m i s l eadi ng. M or eover , anycl ai m thatcouns el w as i neff ect i ve forfai l i ng t o appl yfor w ai verof r emoval w oul d have t o be exha us t ed thr ough a mot i on t o r eopen i m m i gr at i on pr ocee di ngs . See Popal v. G onzal es , 416 F. 3d 249, 252 ( 3d C i r . 2005) ( ci t i ng D uval l v. E lw o o d , 3 3 6 F . 3 d 2 2 8 , 2 3 4 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 3 )). We wi l l d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w.

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