FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Se pt e m be r 1, 2006 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 17211 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N o. A 95- 230- 133 C A R O U L C E S A R , P e titio n e r , v ersu s U .S . A T T O RN E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

a D e c i s i on of

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 1, 2006) B efo re A N D E R S O N , B IR C H an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: H a i t i a n na t i ve a nd c i t i z e n C a r oul C e s a r , pr oc e e di ng p ro se , pe t i t i ons f orAs an initial matter, Cesar has aba ndoned his CAT claim by failingto argue the issue on 1 appeal. Huang v. U.S. A ttorney Gen. , 429 F.3d 1002, 1007 n.2 ( 11th Cir. 2005). 2 r e vi e w of

the B ur e au of

I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ ( “ B I A ” ) a f f i r m a t i on of

the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ’ s ( “ I J ” ) or de rde ny i ng hi s c l a i m f ora s y l um , 8 U . S . C . § 1158, a n d w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l u n d e rth e I m m ig r a tio n a n d N a tio n a lity A c t ( “I N A ” ) , 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 3 1 (b )(3 ), an d rel i ef u n d er th e U n i t ed N at i o n s C o n v en t i o n A g ai n st T or tur e a nd O the rC rue l , I nhum a n, orD e gr a di ng T r e a tm e ntorP uni s hm e nt ( “ C A T ” ) , 8 U . S . C . §§ 1158, 1231; 8 C . F . R . § 208. 16( c ) . W e de ny the pe t i t i on f or 1 th e r e a s o n s s e tf

o r th b e l o w. I. C e s a ri l l e ga l l y e nt e r e d the U ni t e d S t a t e s on oraboutS e pt e m be r12, 2001, and app l i ed for a sy l um . T he form erIm m i grat i on and N atural i za t i on S ervi ce i ni t i a t e d r e m ova l pr oc e e di ngs a ga i ns tC e s a r , i s s ui ng a N ot i c e t o A ppe a rc ha r gi ng hi m w i th rem ov abi l i ty a s a n al i en pres enti n the U ni t ed S t at es w ho had n otbeen a dm i tt e d orpa r ol e d. T hrou gh hi s app l i ca t i on for a sy l um and t es t i m on y gi ven athi s r em ov al hear i ng , C es arexpl ai ned thathe w as bo rn i n L i m on ade, H ai t i , and b ec am e a m e m b e ro f

th e c h u r c h o f

M a r a n a th a in 1 9 9 1 . T h e c h u r c h h a d s o m e r e la tio n to M ochrena (Mo u v e m e n t C h r e tie n p o u rB a tiru n e N o u v e lle H

a iti , or C hri st i an M ov em entfor aN ew H ai t i ), a pol i t i ca l party, w hi ch, atthe t i m e C es arem i grat ed“ Chimere s”werepro- Aristidemil ita nts . 2 3 fr om H ai t i , w as on e of the l ar gestop po si t i on grou ps t o the rul i ng F anm i L aval as pa r ty . A l though C e s a rs t a t e d i n hi s appl i c a t i on tha the ne ve rw e ntt o a M oc hr e na m e e tin g , h e in itia lly te s tif ie d th a t h e b e g a n h is a f

f ilia tio n w ith th e M o c h r e n a p a r ty i n 1 9 9 9 . H e l at er sai d th ath e h ad w o rk ed fo r th em fo r fo u r o r fi v e years. H e al so s a i d tha the e nc our a ge d pe opl e t o j oi n the M oc hr e na m ove m e nta nd vot e f or M oc hr e na c a ndi da t e s , a nd tha ta tthe c hur c h, he “ w a s a l w a y s t e a c hi ng aboutthe e le c tio n s in o r d e rto m a k e [ th e p e o p le ] a w a r e th a t s o m e c a n d id a te s c o u ld b e tr o u b le a nd tha tc e r t a i n thi ngs ne e de d t o be done . ” H e t e s t i f i e d, how e ve r , tha the ha d not v o te d s in c e 1 9 9 1 “b e c a u s e th e e le c tio n s in H a iti a r e c o n s ta n tly r e p le te w ith prob l em s. ” W hen asked w hen M ochrena w as foun ded and w hen the l as tnat i on al el ec t i on s w er e hel d b ef

ore he l ef

tthe coun try , C es arcoul d o nl y r es po nd thathe had fo rg o tt en m an y th i n g s. C es art es t i fi ed thata M ay 21 , 20 01 m ee t i ng organi ze d b y hi s pas t or w as in te rru p te d w h e n th e p o lic e a n d c h im e r e s b r o k e d o w n th e d o o ra n d th r e a te n e d to 2 ki l l the att endees for thei r opp osi t i on t o the F anm i L aval as party. C es arst at ed that h e f le d a n d n e v e rw e n t b a c k , e x p la in in g th a t o p p o s itio n m e m b e r s th r e a te n e d to k ill both C e s a ra nd hi s w i f

e . C e s a rs pe ntthe r e s tof M a y , J une , J ul y , a nd pa r tof A ugus tl i vi ng i n the brus h. I n e a r l y A ugus t , he m e thi s f or m e rc l a s s m a t e , E ddy A u g u s te , a n d w a s r e u n ite d w ith h is w if e . C e s a rap p e a r e d to s u g g e s t th a t h e a n d h is4

f a m ily s p e n t p a r t o f

th e m o n th o f

A u g u s t w ith A u g u s te . A ts om e poi nt , C e s a ra nd hi s f a m i l y r e turne d hom e , a nd on S e pt e m be r1, 2 0 0 1 , s e v e n o re ig h t m e n , a r m e d w ith h a m m e r s , k n iv e s , a n d g u n s , b r o k e in to C e s a r ’ s hom e , a tt a c ke d C e s a r , a nd r ape d hi s w i f e i n f r ontof the i rc hi l dr e n. D ur i ng the a tt a c k, C e s a rw a s s truc k on the he a d w i th a ha m m e r . H e c l a i m e d tha tthe re as on for the att ac k w as hi s m em bers hi p i n M ochrena. C es ares caped the att ac k by hi m se l f a nd i ni t i al l y t es t i fi ed thathe w entt o M adi l l i an, w here A ug ust e w as l i vi ng . C es arl at ert es t i fi ed that , fol l ow i ng the att ac k, he sl epti n the brush. C es ar subsequent l y e xp l ai ned that he s t a y e d f orone da y a tA ugus t e ’ s hous e a nd, on S e pt e m be r2, w a s w i th hi s s i s t e ri n the brus h. O n S ep t em b er 3 , tw o d ays aft er th e att ack , C esar v i si t ed D r. Jacq u es B l ai se f ortr e a tm e ntof

hi s i nj ur i e s . C e s a rt e s t i f i e d tha the a l s o l e f

tH a i t i on S e pt e m be r3. I n s uppor tof

hi s appl i c a t i on, C e s a rs ubm i tt e d a s e r i e s of doc um e nt s . T he fi rs tw as a l ett erfr om D r. P aul R ockl ey , a derm at ol og i st , w hi ch st at ed thatC es ar re po rt ed heari ng l oss f

rom bei ng hi ton the head w i th a ham m er , and h ad tw o sca rs o n h is s c a lp a n d tw o s c a r s o n h is r ig h t e y e b r o w . C e s a rte s tif ie d , h o w e v e r , th a t h is on l y probl em af

t erbei ng hi ton the head w as chroni c hea daches . C es arsubm i tt ed tw o cer t i fi ca t es fr om D r. Ja cques B l ai se , on e of w hi ch st at ed thathe tre at ed C es ar on S e pt e m be r3, 2001, f ori nj ur i e s , i nc l udi ng a s c a l p w ound, a nd a nxi e ty a s the re sul tof “ ph ys i ca l aggres si on ” by “ arm ed i nd i vi du al s” “ tw o d ay s l at er . ” T he other5

c e r t i f i c a t e s t a t e d tha tD r . B l a i s e a l s o tr e a t e d C e s a r ’ s w i f e f ori nj ur i e s , i nc l udi ng on es du e t o sexual vi ol ence , “ as a r es ul tof ph ys i ca l aggres si on tw o d ay s l at er . ” M a r ie P ie rr e , a r e s id e n t o f C ap - H a itie n , d e c la r e d th a t s h e d r e s s e d C e s a r ’s s c a lp w ou nd for tw o w ee ks af t erhe re ce i ved tre atm entby D r. B l ai se . C es ar ’ s w i fe de c l a r e d tha t , on S e pt e m be r1, 2001, s he w a s the vi c t i m of s e xua l vi ol e nc e i n f

r ont of he rf a m i l y a nd w a s s l appe d i n the f a c e . F i na l l y , E ddy A ugus t e de c l a r e d tha the a c c om m oda t e d C e s a r ’ s f a m i l y f orf i f t e e n da y s a f

t e rthe y w e r e a tt a c ke d on S ept em ber 2, 20 01 , by “ un i dent i fi ed arm ed i nd i vi du al s. ” T he IJ deni ed as yl um , w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , and C A T re l i ef . T he IJ f ound C e s a rnotc r e di bl e , c i t i ng a num be rof r e a s ons i nc l udi ng the l a c k of c l a r i ty of C es ar ’ s t es t i m on y, C es ar ’ s gener al t es t i m on y abo utw hathe di d for hi s c hu rc h grou p, i ncon si st enci es betw ee n C es ar ’ s t es t i m on y a nd hi s docum ent ary e vi dence, C e s a r ’ s va ry i ng e xpl a na t i ons of w ha thappe ne d a f

t e rthe S e pt e m be r1, 2001 a tt a c k, a n d C e s a r ’s d e m e a n o r . T h e I J a ls o f o u n d it n o t c r e d ib le th a t C e s a rw o u ld e n c o u r a g e p e o p le to v o te f o rM o c h r e n a c a n d id a te s , b u t h a d n o t v o te d s in c e 1 9 9 1 . T h e I J f u r th e rf o u n d th a t C e s a r ’s c o rr o b o r a tiv e e v id e n c e te n d e d to u n d e r m in e h is asyl u m cl ai m . T h e IJ th en d et erm i n ed th atC esar fail ed t o est ab l i sh p ast p ersecu t i o n o r a w el l -fo u n d ed fear o f p ersecu t i o n o n a p ro t ect ed g ro u n d . B ecau se C es arcoul d n otes t abl i sh as yl um el i gi bi l i ty, the IJ concl ud ed thathe had n otm et th e s ta n d a r d f

o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. F in a lly , th e I J d e te r m in e d th a t C e s a rd id6

n o t s h o w th a t it w a s m o r e lik e ly th a n n o t th a t h e w o u ld b e to r tu r e d if r e tu rn e d to H a i t i . T he B I A a f

f i r m e d w i thoutopi ni on.

II . W he n the B I A s um m a r i l y a f f i r m s the I J w i thouta n opi ni on, w e r e vi e w the I J ’s o p in io n . See Me ndoz a v . U . S. A t tor ne

y G e n. , 3 2 7 F .3 d 1 2 8 3 , 1 2 8 4 n .1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . W e r e v ie w f a c tu a l d e te r m in a tio n s , in c lu d in g c r e d ib ility d e te r m in a tio n s , u s in g th e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e te s t. For gue v . U . S. A t tor ne

y G e n. , 40 1 F . 3d 12 82 , 12 86 (11th C i r. 20 05 ). W e w i l l af fi rm i f the deci si on “ i s s up po rt ed b y reaso n ab l e, su b st an t i al , an d p ro b at i v e ev i d en ce o n th e reco rd co n si d ered as a w ho l e. ” I

d. (i nt ernal ci t at i on and q uo t at i on m arks om i tt ed). W e r evi ew the re cord e v id e n c e in th e lig h t m o s t f a v o r ab le to th e a g e n c y ’s d e c is io n a n d d r a w a ll r e a s o n ab le in f

e r e n c e s in f

a v o ro f th a t d e c is io n . I

d. “ [ F ] i ndi ngs of

f a c tm a de by

. . . the [I m m i grat i on Judg e] m ay be re vers ed by thi s [ C ] ou rton l y w hen the re cord com pel s are vers al . ” Si lv a v . U . S. A t tor ne

y G e n. , 44 8 F . 3d 12 29 , 12 36 (11th C i r. 2 0 0 6 ) ( in te rn a l c ita tio n a n d q u o ta tio n m a r k s o m itte d ) ( a lte r a tio n in o r ig in a l) . “[ T ]h e m e r e f

a c t th a t th e r e c o r d m a y s u p p o r t a c o n tr a ry c o n c lu s io n is n o t e n o u g h to j ust i fy a r ever sa l of the adm i ni stra t i ve fi nd i ng s. ” A de fe m i v . A s h c r o

ft , 386 F . 3d 10 22 , 10 27 (11th C i r. 20 04 ) ( e n banc ) , ce rt. deni ed , 544 U . S . 1035 ( 2005) . T o the e x te n t th e I J ’s d e c is io n w a s b a s e d o n a le g a l d e te r m in a tio n , r e v ie w is d e n o v o . Mo h a m m e d

v . A s h c r o

ft , 26 1 F . 3d 12 44 , 12 47 -48 (11 th C i r. 20 01 ).Th eg ov ernment a rgue s th at Ce sa

r a ba ndon e d a ny c halleng eto t

heIJ’s adv e rs e 3 cre dibility

deter mination becausehe failed to make any argument, with supporting a uthority , on theiss uein his b ri e f. Although Ce sar’ s a rgument i s limit e d a

nd c ite s n o a

uth ority, liberally c on str uinghisbrie f, wec on c ludethat it is c le ar t hat heis challeng ingtheIJ’s adv e rs ec re dib ili ty deter mination and that Cesar did not aba ndon the claim. Tannenbaum v. United States , 148 F.3d 1262, 1263 (11th Cir. 1998). 7 F i rs t , C es arar gu es thatthe di stri ctcourterre d i n fi nd i ng thathe l ac ked cr edi bi l i ty. H e c on t ends thathi s hea d i nj uri es l i kel y r es ul t ed i n b ra i n d am age,

3 w h ic h a c c o u n ts f

o rh is in ab ility to d e s c r ib e e v e n ts a n d th e irc h r o n o lo g y w ith cl ar i ty, and thatt o the ext entthathe w as abl e t o t es t i fy , hi s t es t i m on y w as cr edi bl e.

“ O nc e a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng i s m a de , the bur de n i s on the appl i c a nt al i en t o sho w thatthe IJ ’ s c re di bi l i ty dec i si on w as no tsupp ort ed by ‘ spec i fi c, cogentre as on s’ or w as no tbase d o n sub st ant i al evi dence. ” For gue , 40 1 F . 3d at 1287. “ T he tr i e rof

f a c tm us tde t e r m i ne c r e di bi l i ty , a nd thi s c our tm a y not subst i tut e i t s j ud gm entfor thatof the [I J] w i th res pectt o cre di bi l i ty f i nd i ng s. ” DMuhum e d v . U

. S. A t tor ne

y G e n. , 38 8 F . 3d 81 4, 81 8 (11 th C i r. 20 04 ). T he I J e xpl i c i t l y f

ound C e s a r ’ s t e s t i m ony notc r e di bl e , a nd C e s a r ’ s a r gum e nt d o e s n o t d e m o n s tr a te th a t th e r e c o r d c o m p e ls r e v e r s a l o f th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility f in d in g . T h e r e is n o e v id e n c e th a t C e s a rs u f f e r e d b r a in d a m a g e th a t w o u ld i nt e r f e r e w i th hi s c ogni t i ve abi l i t i e s . F ur the r m or e , C e s a r ’ s de s c r i pt i ons of the af t er ef fe ct s of hi s i nj ury a re i ncon si st ent— he t ol d D r. R ockl ey thati tcaused hear i ng l oss, bu tt es t i fi ed thathi s onl y probl em w as chroni c hea daches . M oreover,8

C e s a ronl y tr i e s t o e xpl a i n the l a c k of c l a r i ty i n hi s t e s t i m ony a nd f a i l s t o m a ke a ny a r g u m e n ts r e g a r d in g th e I J ’s r e lia n c e o n h is d e m e a n o r , la c k o f d e ta il, in co n sisten cies b etw ee n h is testim o n y a n d d o cu m en tary ev id en ce , o r th e I J’s d is b e lie f th a t C e s a re n c o u r a g e d p e o p le to v o te f o rM o c h r e n a c a n d id a te s , b u t d id n o t h im s e lf

v o te . A ddi t i ona l l y , the r e a r e a num be rof i nc ons i s t e nc i e s r e l a t i ng t o the ba s i s of C e s a r ’ s a l l e ge d pe r s e c ut i on. I n hi s appl i c a t i on, C e s a rc l a i m e d tha the ne ve rw e nt t o M ochrena m ee t i ng s, bu tt es t i fi ed thathe w as ata m ee t i ng on M ay 21 , 20 01 , that w as brok en up by the po l i ce and the chi m er e. H e a l so t es t i fi ed i ncon si st ent l y that he became aff

i l i at ed w i th the M ochrena party i n 1 99 9 and thathe w orked for them for f ou r or f i ve ye ar s. F i nal l y, C es ar ’ s t es t i m on y thathe sa w the do ct or and l ef t H ai t i on S ept em ber 3, 20 01 , i s i ncon si st entw i th P i erre ’ s s t at em entthatshe tre at ed hi s w ound f

ortw o w e e ks f

ol l ow i ng hi s vi s i tt o the doc t or . I n l i ghtof the f o r e g o in g , C e s a rh a s n o t m e t h is b u r d e n o f s h o w in g th a t th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility fi nd i ng w as no tbase d o n speci fi c, cogentre as on s or s up po rt ed by subst ant i al e v id e n c e , a n d th e r e c o r d d o e s n o t c o m p e l r e v e r s a l o f th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility f in d in g . S e c ond, C e s a ra r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our te rr e d i n de ny i ng hi s appl i c a t i on f ora s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l . T o e s t abl i s h e l i gi bi l i ty f ora s y l um , the a l i e n m us t , w i th s pe c i f

i c a nd c r e di bl e e vi de nc e , e s t abl i s h ( 1) pa s tpe r s e c ut i on on9

a c c o u n t o f

a s ta tu to r ily lis te d f

a c to r , o r( 2 ) a “w e ll- f

o u n d e d f e a r ” th a t th e s ta tu to r ily l i st ed fa ct or w i l l cause f uture pers ec ut i on . 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 13 (a ), ( b ) ; Sepu lve da v. U . S. A t tor ne

y G e n. , 401 F . 3d 1226, 1230- 31 ( 11th C i r . 2005) . I n the abs e nc e of pastpers ec ut i on , “ the pet i t i on erm ustdem on stra t e aw el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pers ec ut i on thati s both subj ec t i vel y genui ne and o bj ec t i vel y r ea sonabl e. ” R uiz v . U . S. A t tor ne

y G e n. , 440 F . 3d 1247, 1257 ( 11th C i r . 2006) . W e r e qui r e the appl i c a ntt o pr e s e nt“ s pe c i f i c , de t a i l e d f

a c t s s how i ng a good r e a s on t o f e a rtha the or she w i l l be s i ngl e d out f o rp e r s e c u tio n o n a c c o u n t o f ” a p r o te c te d g r o u n d . Al N a jja rv . A s h c r o

ft , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1287 ( 11th C i r . 2001) ( quot a t i on m a r ks a nd c ita tio n o m itte d ) . C esar ap p ears t o rel y l arg el y o n h i s t est i m o n y t o d em o n strat e p ast p e r s e c u tio n . A s th e r e c o r d d o e s n o t c o m p e l r e v e r s a l o f th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility d e te r m in a tio n , C e s a rc a n n o t r e ly u p o n h is te s tim o n y to e s tab lis h p e r s e c u tio n . M or e ove r , the r e i s a s e r i ous pa uc i ty of e vi de nc e out s i de of

hi s ow n t e s t i m ony l i nki ng a ny i nj ur i e s s us t a i ne d by C e s a rt o a pr ot e c t e d gr ound, a s C e s a rdoe s not a r g u e th a t th e I J e rr e d in a c c o r d in g n o w e ig h t to D r . B la is e ’s s ta te m e n ts . T h e r e is al so a probl em w i th C es ar ’ s docum ent ary e vi dence, as P i erre coul d n othave car ed f o rCe s a rf

o rtw o w e e k s a f

t e rh i s v i s i tt o D r . Bl a i s e i f Ce s a rl e f

tH a i t i o n th e s a me day a s the do ct or’ s vi si t . A l tho ug h there i s e vi dence thatL aval as supp ort er s a tt a c ke d pol i t i c a l oppone nt s , i n the abs e nc e of c r e di bl e e vi de nc e de m ons tr a t i ngNumerous a rticles and reports in the administrative record documented thepolitical 4 instability and violencein Haiti arisingfrom the 2000 e lections, which c ontinued into 2004, eventually

evolvinginto a rebe llion against the Aristide g overnment. By Februar y 24, 2004, arm e d rebe ls h a d ta

ken o ver C a

p- Haiti e n a

nd oth e r towns , a

nd pla nn e d tomarch o n th ec a

pit al, Port-au-Prince . 10 th a t C e s a rw a s p e r s e c u te d o n a p r o te c te d g r o u n d , th e r e c o r d d o e s n o t c o m p e l a f i ndi ng tha tC e s a re s t abl i s he d pa s tpe r s e c ut i on. C e s a rm a ke s no a r gum e nt , tha t , i n the abs e nc e of pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, he es t abl i shed a w el l -f

ou nd ed fe arof future per se cut i on , and even i m pl i es thatcoun try c ondi t i ons ha ve c ha nge d s uc h tha ta w e l l - f ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on no l on ger e xi st s. A cc ordi ng l y, the re cord do es no tcom pel a f i nd i ng thatC es ar 4 e s t abl i s he d a w e l l - f

ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on. F i nal l y, because C es arca nn otes t abl i sh a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pe r s e c ut i on, he c a nnotm e e tthe m or e s tr i nge nts t a nda r d r e qui r e d f orw i thhol di ng o f r e m o v a l u n d e rth e I N A . For gue , 4 0 1 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 8 n .4 ; A l N aj j ar , 25 7 F . 3d at 1292- 93. A c c or di ngl y , w e D E N Y the pe t i t i on. P E T I T I O N D E N I E D .