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.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). 1 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 R AMI R O S AN DO VA L AC OS T A, 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. 06- 75798 A ge nc yN o. A 091- 710- 582 ME MOR AN DU M *

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o rn ia B efo re: N O O N A N , B E R Z O N an dIK U T A , C i rcu i tJu d g es. R a m i r o S a ndova l A c os t ape t i t i ons f orr e vi e w of

the B oa r d of

I m m i gr a t i on A pp ea l ’ s ( B IA ) deni alof hi s app l i ca t i on for c ance l l at i on of re m ov al . T hi s C ou rt has j uri sdi ct i on t o revi ew qu es t i on s of l aw . 8 U . S . C . § 1 25 2(a) (2)( D ). W e r evi ew 

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de nov o an dw i th o u td eferen ce th e B IA ’ s i n t erp ret at i o n o f th e F ed eral F i rst O ff ender A ct(F F O A ), 18 U . S . C . § 3 60 7, because the agency does notadm i ni st er th e s ta tu te . D e J

es us Melendez v . G on zales , 5 0 3 F .3 d1 0 1 9 , 1 0 2 3 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ) . W e d e n yth e p e titio n . T he B I A pr ope r l yc onc l ude d tha tS a ndova l A c os t aw a s i ne l i gi bl e f or cancel l at i on of re m ov alun der 8 U . S . C . § 1 22 9b (b)( 1)(C ) bec ause he w as

“ conv i ct ed of . . . a vi ol at i on of . . . a[ ] l aw . . . re l at i ng t o a control l ed subst ance , ” 8 U . S . C . § 1182( a ) ( 2) ( A ) , a nd w a s , the r e f or e , s t a tut or i l yba rr e d f

r om e s t abl i s hi ng go od m oralchar ac t er . S ando val A cost a pl ea ded g ui l ty t o a 19 99 char ge un der C a l i f orni aH e a l th & S a f

e tyC ode § 11350 f

orpos s e s s i on of

c oc a i ne a nd r e c e i ve d a d e f e rr e da d ju d ic a tio n . T h e 1 9 9 9 o ffen se w as n o tel i g i b l e fo r treatm en tas a fi rst offe nse und erthe F eder alF i rs tO ff ender A ct , 18 U . S . C . § 3 60 7, such thatS ando val A c o s tac o u lda v o idd e p o rta tio n . Se e L uj an-A rm e ndar i zv . I . N . S. , 222 F . 3d 728, 7 4 9

– 5 0 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 0 ). S an d o v al A co sta’s 1 9 8 5 “p ar ti cip atio n in C alifo rn ia’s pretri aldi vers i on on a s i m i l archar ge [t o h i s 199 9 con trol l ed subst ance s c harge] const i tut ed hi s one bi t e a tF F O A -type tre atm ent . ” D e J es us Melendez , 50 3 F . 3d at 1 0 2 5 . H e n e e dn o t h a v e p le a d e dg u iltyto th e 1 9 8 5 c h a r g e f o rth is to b e s o . I

d. at 1 0 2 6 .3

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or e , f a l l s w i thi n the I m m i gr a t i on a nd N a t i ona l i tyA c t ’ s de f i ni t i on of “ c onvi c t i on, ” 8 U . S . C . § 1101( a ) ( 48) ( A ) , a nd S a n d o v a l A c o s taw a s s ta tu to r ilyb a rr e df r o m e s tab lis h in g g o o dm o r a l c h a r a c te r , se e 8 U . S . C . § 1101( f

) ( 3) ( c r os s - r e f

e r e nc i ng § 1182( a ) ( 2) ( A ) a s as t a tut oryba rt o a g o o dm o ra l ch ar ac ter f

in d in g ). T h e B IA d idn o t errb y d en yin g S an d o v al A co sta’s ap p lic a tio n f

o rc a n c e lla tio n o f

r e m o v a l. DE NI E D.