N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
JESUS ALAN FLOR

ES, Pe t i tione r,
v. W ILLIAM P. B ARR , Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 17-73461 Age n c y No. A096-923-560
M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls A rgue d a nd Subm itte d

August 14, 2019 Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : SC HR OEDER

and GR AB ER , C irc uit Judge s, a

nd M . WATSON, ** Distric t Judge
. Je sus Ala n Flore s, a

native and c itiz e n of M e x ic o, pe titions for re vie w of his orde r of re m ova l . He c onte nds tha t his c onvic t ion unde r C a lifornia Ve h ic le C ode



# FIL ED AUG 27 2019 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The Honora

ble M ic ha e l H. W atson, Unite d State s Distric t Judgefor the Southe rn Distric t of Ohio, sitting by de signa tion.se c t ion 10851(a) doe s not qua lify a s a n a ggravate d the ft offe n se supporting his
re m ova l. The C a lifornia sta

tute , c om m only re fe rre d to a s a

“ joy riding sta tute ,” punishe s the “ Unla

wful Ta king or Driving of a

Ve hic le .” C a l. Ve h. C ode § 10851(a). W e have he ld tha t this sta tute is not a

c ate goric a l m atc h for a

n
a ggrav at e d fe lony

the ft offe nse unde r 8 U.S.C . § 1101(a)(43)(G) be c a use Se c tion 10851(a ) c rim i na liz e s a c c e ssorie s a fte r the fa c t, not just princ ipa l a c tors. Se e Unite d State s v . Vidal , 504 F.3d 1072, 1086 (9th C ir. 2007) (e n ba nc ), abrogate d on othe r grounds as rec ognize d in C ardozo-Arias v. Holde r , 495 F. App’ x790, 792 n.1 (9th C ir. 2012). Pe titione r c onte nds tha

t the sta tute is a l so ove rbroa d

in tha t it c rim ina liz e s trivia l offe nse s, likeshort joy ride s, tha t should not qua

lify a s “ the ft” offe nse s. W e have pre v iously

re je c te d sim ila

r argum e nts, ruling tha

t e ve n te m

pora ry ta kings or

“ joy ride s” unde r this sta

t ute m e e t the ge ne ric de finition of a the ft offe nse . S

e e Due nas-Alvare

z v . Holde r , 733 F.3d 812, 815 (9th C ir. 2013); Vidal , 504 F.3d a t 1098 (9th C ir. 2007) (“ [E] ve n te m pora ry de priva t ions of therights a

nd be n e fits of
owne rship a

re c ate goric a lly

the ft offe nse s.” ). Thus, Se c tion 10851(a ) is ove rbroa d
a s c o m pa re d to thege ne ric de finition of a the ft offe nse in only

one re spe c t: Its
c rim ina liz ation of a c c e ssorie s a fte r the fa c t.
2B e c a

use we have he ld tha

t the sta tute is divisible

in its tre atm e nt of
a c c e ssorie s a fte r the fa c t, se eDue nas-Alvare z , 733 F.3d a

t 815, Pe titione r a sks us to look to the

re c ord of c onvic t ion unde r a m odifie d c ate goric a l a n a ly sis to de te rm i ne whe t

h e r he wa s c o nvic te d of the ge ne ric a lly de fine d c rim e , i.e ., a s a princ ipa l a c tor. R e ly ing on Unite d State s v . Arriaga-Pinon , 852 F.3d 1195 (9th C ir. 2017), Pe titione r c o nte n ds tha t the re c ord of c onvic tion is a m biguous on this point. In Arriaga-Pinon , be c a use the de fe n d ant ha d ple d to driving “ or” ta king the
ve hic le at issue and ha d

not a dm itte d a

ny de ta ils a bout thec o nduc t to whic h he ple d , we c ould not disc e rn whe t he r he ha d be e n

c onvic t e d a s a

princ ipa l or
a c c e ssory . Id. at 1200. He re , howe ve r, the re is no suc h am biguity . The fa c tua l ba sis for Pe titione r’ s ple a sta te s tha t he drove the c ar without the owne r’ s pe rm ission with the inte nt to de prive the owne r of the right to posse ss tha t c ar. Pe titione r the re fore ple d to the
c onduc t of a

princ ipa l a c tor, not a

n a c c e ssory

a fte r the fa c t. B e c a

use Pe titione r wa s une quivoc a lly

c o nvic te d of the ge ne ric a lly de fine d c rim e , his c onvic t ion provide s a prope r ba sis for his re m ova l. Pe tition DE N IE D.

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