I M G- 2 4 6 NOT 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. 09- 3420

___________ WEL T ON VAL E NT I N, Pet i t i oner

v. A TTO RN EY G EN ER A L O F TH E U N I TED STA TES, R es pondent

____________________________________ O n Pet i t i on forR evi ew of an O r derof t he B o a rd o f Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls ( A gencyN o. A 097- 918- 944) I m m i gr at i on J udge: M i r l ande Tadal

____________________________________ Subm i t t ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J une 23, 2010 B e f o re : 

### FU EN TE S , V A N A SK I E A N D V A N A N T W E R PE N , C i r cui tJ udges

( O pi ni on fi l ed J ul y2, 2010)

___________ OP I NI ON

___________ P E R C UR I AM W el t on V al ent i n has fi l ed a pe t i t i on forr evi ew of t he fi nal or derbyt he B oar d of I m m i gr at i on A ppeal s ( “B I A ”) aff i r m i ng t he I m m i gr at i on J udge’ s ( “I J ”’ s ) deni al ofH is w ritten sta tem e n t als o n o ted th a t 

### he publ i c i z e d MOCHENA m e e t i ngs and 1 

### ev en ts. H e an do th er m em b ers assistedth e p o p u lace w ithliteracy , th e v o tin g p ro cess, obt a i ni ng e m

pl oy m e nt , and obt a i ni ng m e di c a lhe lp. 2 V al ent i n’ s r eques t s foras y l um , w i t hhol di ng of r emoval , and pr ot ect i on undert he C onvent i on A gai ns tT or t ur e ( “C A T ”) . For t he r eas ons t hatfol l ow , w e w i l l denyt he p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. T h e p a r t i e s a r e f

a m i l i a rw i t h t h e b a c k g r o u n d o f t h i s c a s e , a n d s o w e p r o v i d e o n l y a s u m m a ry o f

th e p ro c e e d in g s . 

### Vale ntin is a c it iz en of Hait i. He ar

ri ved in the Un it ed Stat es in 20 03 and sho rt ly ther ea fter

file d an asylum

applic at ion. Th e a

pp li cati onwas re ferr ed to an IJ , andVale ntin was pla ce d in rem ov alproceedi ng s for being an ali en pres ent i n the Un it ed Stat es withou t bei ng adm itte d o r par oled. Val enti n con ce ded rem o v ab ility . H e later am en d edan dsup p lem en tedh is asylum ap p licatio nan dalso soug ht withho lding o f rem ov aland C AT protec ti on . On D ec em ber 2, 200 8, the I J co n du cteda h earin g o nV alen tin ’s claim s. Va l e nt i n t e s t i fi e d that

he wa s am e m

be r of MOCHRENA ( Move m e nt by Chr i s t i ans for

Pe a c e i n Ne w Ha i t i ) , apol i t i c a lparty . He s t at e d that he wa s the “sp o k esp erso n ” o f

th e p arty , an dp art o f

h is ro le w as to teacho th ers h o wto v o te, an dto a s s i s t the party whe n i t wa s fa c e d wi th a ggr e s s i on by the oppos i t i on party . Re gar di ng 1 

### such aggres si on , Val enti n tes ti fied abou t an incident at a MO CH RE NA m ee ti ng wh en se vera l m en ente re d andtold them to st op the m ee ti ng . Sever alparty m em bers were be at e n and two we r e arr e s t e d. Va l e nt i n e s c a pe d harm be c aus e he r an away , though he3



### w en t to th e h o sp ital to assist th e in j uredm em

b ers. T h is in cid en t w as o m ittedf ro m b o th hi s or i gi na la s ylum

a ppl i c at i on and hi s am e nde d a ppl i c at i on. Whe n a s ke d t o e xpl a i n the o m issio n , V alen tinstatedth at h e d idn o t un d erstan dE n g lishat th e tim e h e sig n edh is originalapplic at ion, and h e i nsis te d that the inci dent had b ee n included in h is am ended a ppl i c at i on. Va l e nt i n a l s o t e s t i fi e d that i n J anuary

2003, fi ve m e n a c c os t e d hi m on the street o nh is w ay

h o m e f ro m a p arty m eetin g , b eat h im , an dthreaten edh im w ithh arm

if he di d not

s t op worki ng for

MOCHRENA. Va l e nt i n t e s t i fi e d that he r e c ogni z e d one of th e assailan ts inb o tho f

th e 1 9 9 9 an d2 0 0 3 in cid en ts as a p o lice o f f icer n am edB ern ad in Nar c i s s e , who l i ve d i n hi s ne i ghborhood i n Ha i t i . Al though he t e s t i fi e d that he wa s the onl y one att a c ke d i n c onne c t i on wi th the J anuary 2003 m e e t i ng, hi s am e nde d a s ylum applic at ion als o ind ic at ed that two m em bers were atta cked duri ng the m ee ti ng . When ask edto f urth er exp lainab o ut th e attackth at h ado ccurreddurin g th e m eetin g , V alen tin s t at e d that

he di d not

unde r s t and Engl i s h whe n the a ppl i c at i on wa s pr e par e d and that “ the way that I e xp la ined it

to him is no t t he way it went abou t. I t old them

wh en I was gett ing o ut of

the m ee ti ng , but I didn’t t el l t hem that I was ou t bac k at the m ee ti ng .” (A .R . 1 3 8 -3 9 .) Vale ntin al so te st ifie d abo ut an inci dent that occurre d in A pril20 03 , s tati ng that se vera l m en atta cked him in his hom e a fter

he atte nd ed a part

y m ee ti ng . The m en r e s tr a i ne d hi m

and tri e d t o dr i ve ana i li nt o hi s hand wi th ahamm e r , but the y c oul d not d o so b ecau se V alen tinw as m o v in g h is h an d . V alen tintestif iedth at th e m enb eat h is4



### hand wi th the hamm e r

i ns t e a d. Hi s i ni t i a land am e nde d a s ylum a ppl i c at i ons m e nt i on the inci dent bu t s tate that

the m en did h am

m er the nai l i nto h is hand . On h is am ended a s ylum a ppl i c at i on, Va l e nt i n c l a i m e d that the pol i c e burne d down hi s hous e a ft e r the attackan dth at h e d ecid edto leav e H aiti th at sam e d ay , b ut h e d idn o t m en tio nth is f act in h is testim o ny . Wh enask edab o ut th e o m issio n , V alen tind en iedev er statin g th at h is h o u se w as b urn edd o w nan din steadstatedth at it w as th e p resid en t o f th e p arty w h o se ho use had been bu rned. I n add it ion to h is te st im on y , Val enti n sub m itte d v arious ar ti cl es about c ondi t i ons i n Ha i t i . He a l s o s ubm i tt e d doc um e nt at i on of the m e di c a ltr e atm e nt he receiv edo nh is rig h t h an dw h enh e reach edth e U n itedS tates. Th e I J foundthat

Vale ntin did n ot te st ify

cr edibly . The IJal so dete rmined that Vale ntin had n ot m et

his burden o f p roof

fo r a sylum , withh olding , or CAT re li ef, e ven assum in g th at h is testim o ny w as cred ib le. T h e IJ d en iedrelief an do rd eredrem o v al to Hait i. OnJuly

21 , 200 9, the BIA dismis se d V al enti n’s a pp ea l. Th e BIA fo un d n o cle ar e rr or i n the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e dibi l i ty fi ndi ng and a l s o found no e rr or i n the de ni a lof a s ylum and wi thhol di ng r e m ova le ve n a s s um i ng Va l e nt i n’ s c r e dibi l i ty . I n a ddi t i on, the B I Ac o n c lu d e dth at

V a l e n t i nh a dn o t

me t h i s b ur d e no f

p r o o f o nh i s C A T c l a i m. T h is pet i t i on forr evi ew fol l ow ed. As t h e BI A a f

f i r me d t h e I J ’ s f

i n d i n g s b u td i d n o ta d d r e s s a l l o f t h e f i n d i n g s , we w i l l r evi ew bot h t he B I A ’ s and t he I J ’ s deci s i ons . See X i e v. A s hcr oft , 359 F. 3d 239, 242 (3d C i r. 20 04 ). W e revi ew fact ual fi nd i ng s, i ncludi ng any credi bil i t ydeter m i nati on s,T h e p ro v isio n s o f th e R E A L ID A c t g o v e rn in g c re d ib ili tyd e ter m in a tio n s in 2 as y l um appl i cat i ons do notappl yher e, beca us e V al ent i n’ s or i gi nal as y l um appl i cat i on w as f il ed b ef o re the R E A L ID A ct’s M ay 1 1 , 2 0 0 5 ef fe cti v e d ate. Se e C h u k w u v . A tt ’y G en. , 484 F. 3d 185, 189 ( 3d C i r . 2007) . V al ent i n as s er t s t hatt he I J appea r s t o have a p p l i e d t h e p o s t - RE AL I D s t a n d a r d b e c a u s e t h e I J r e l i e d o n mi n o ri n c o n s i s t e n c i e s . As w i l l be di s cus s ed, w e di s agr ee. 5 u n d er a su b stan ti al ev iden ce stan d ard . S ee C ao v . A tt ’yG en . , 4 0 7 F . 3 d 1 4 6 , 1 5 2 (3d C ir . 2005) . T he C our tm us tuphol d t he cr edi bi l i t ydet er m i nat i on of t he B I A unl es s “any r e a s o n a b l e a d

j u d i c a t o rwo u l d b e c o mp e l l e d t o c o n c l u d e t o t h e c o n t r a r y . ” 8 U. S . C. § 1252( b) ( 4) ( B ) . W e do notover t ur n a cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng s i m pl ybeca us e w e w oul d m ake a d iffe ren t fi n d ing . S ee G ab u n iy a v . A tt o rne yG en era l, 4 6 3 F . 3 d 3 1 6 , 3 2 1 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 6 ). W e c o n c lu d e th a t su b sta n tial e v id e n c e su p p o rts th e a d v e rse c re d ib ili ty det er m i nat i on. T he B I A aff i r m ed t he I J ’ s det er m i nat i ons and not ed t hati tw as 2 u n n e c e ss a ryto e n u m e ra te a ll o f th e in c o n sis ten c ies in V a len tin ’s te stim o n y , b u t it s peci fi cal l ynot ed V al ent i n’ s acc ountof t he A pr i l 2003 at t ack a thi s hom e. O n hi s w r i t t en a p p lica tio n s, V a len tin c laim e d th a t th e a ss a ilan ts h a m m e re d a n a il i n to h is h a n d , b u t in h is t es t i m ony , he s t at ed t hatt heybeathi s hand w i t h t he hamm er . T he medi cal r ecor ds fr om t he t r eatm entt hatV al ent i n r ece i ved r efl ectt hathe w as t r eat ed foran abs ces s on hi s r i ght i ndex fi nger , t hathe deni ed i nj ur yort r auma t o t he hand, and t hathe had be en i n pai n for onl ya s hor tt i m e bef

or e s eeki ng t r eatm ent . T he at t ack, how ever , occurr ed s ever al m ont hs ear l i er , acc or di ng t o V al ent i n. W e al s o not e t he i ncons i s t encybet w een V al ent i n’ s w r i t t en sta tem e n t th a t tw o p a rtym e m b e rs w e re a ttac k e d a t a J a n u a ry2 0 0 3 m e e tin g a n d h is

### Beca use s ub st anti alevidence supp orts the a dv er se cr edibil it y find ing, we need 3 

### not r e a c h Va l e nt i n’ s ar gum e nt s r e l at i ng t o hi s e l i gibi l i ty for a s ylum and wi thhol di ng rem o v al. 6 t es t i m onyt hathe w as t he onl ym ember at t acke d t hatni ght . T hes e and otherdi s cr epanc i es bet w een hi s w r i t t en appl i cat i ons and hi s t es t i m ony , i ncl udi ng m at er i al om i t t ed fr om t he ap p li ca ti o n s, g o to the h ea rto f V alen ti n ’s claim s tha t he s u ff ere d h arm o r fe ars h arm bas ed on hi s par t ym ember s hi p. W e conc l ude t hatt he adve r s e cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng w as b ase d o n sp ec ifi c a n d su b stan ti al ev iden ce su p p o rt ed b ythe re co rd, an d that the re co rd d o e s n o t co m p e l a d if

f e re n t re su lt. 3 A s f o r V a len tin ’s C A T c laim , w e n o te th a t h is b rie f c o n tain s s tate m e n ts c o n c e rn in g th e c o n d itio n s o f p ri s o n s in H a iti th a t m a yri s e to th e le v e l o f to rt u re . H o w ev er, his arg u m en ts are p rese n ted w ith in the co n text o f c h all en g ing the a g en cy ’s deci s i ons t o denyas y l um and w i t hhol di ng r emoval . B eca us e no ar gum enti s pr es ent ed r egar di ng C A T r el i ef, w e dee m t he i s s ue w ai ved. See Li e v. A s hcr oft , 396 F. 3d 530, 532 n . 1 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 5 ). V al ent i n al s o r ai s es a due pr oces s i s s ue, ar gui ng t hatt he I J conduct ed t he hea r i ng i n a funda m ent al l yunfai rm anner . V al ent i n ci t es t w o exampl es i n t he hea r i ng t r ans cr i pt t o s how t hatt he I J ber at ed hi m dur i ng t he hea r i ng, and he c om par es hi s hear i ng t o t he hear i ng di s cus s ed i n ourdeci s i on i n K ai t a v. A t t or neyG ener al , 522 F. 3d 288, 292- 294, 3 0 1 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 8 ). U p o n rev iew o f th e h ea ri n g tr an script, w e d isag ree that V alen ti n ’s cas e i s s i m i l art o K ai t a. I n K ai t a, t he I J m ade f r equent , di s r upt i ve i nt er r upt i ons dur i ng t he7

pet i t i oner ’ s t es t i m onyand made obvi ous at t empt s t o r us h t he pr ocee di ngs fors chedul i ng r eas ons . H er e, t he I J admoni s hed V al ent i n beca us e V al ent i n di d notal l ow t he t r ans l at or t o fi ni s h s peaki ng befor e he ga ve hi s r es pons e. T he t r ans cr i pts how s t hatt he I J expl ai ned t hatV al ent i n’ s s peaki ng overt he t r ans l at orw as caus i ng confus i on, and t hati tm i ght im p ed e the ac cu rac yo f th e tran slat ion . Italso ap p ea rs fro m the tran script t h at t h e IJ expr es s ed annoy ance and perhaps s om e i m pat i ence w i t h V al ent i n. H ow ever , w e ar e not p e rsu a d e d th a t V a len tin su f f e re d su b sta n tial p re

ju d ice in th e se n se th a t th e o u tco m e o f h is hear i ng w as aff

ect ed. See Si ngh v. G onzal es , 432 F. 3d 533, 541 ( 3d C i r . 2006) . A s i de f ro m a ss e rtin g th a t th e h e a rin g w a s c o n d u c ted u n f a irly , V a len tin m a k e s n o sp e c if ic ar gum entr egar di ng pr ej udi ce. H e does noti ndi cat e t hatt he pr ocee di ngs w er e rus hed or t h a th e w a s p r e v e n t e d f r o m o f f e r i n g a n y t e s t i m o n y. We wi l l d e n yt h e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w.