Opinion ID: 780807
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Paul Lawrence

Text: 8 Lawrence, also a citizen of Jamaica, entered the United States as a permanent resident alien in May 1971. In 1986, Lawrence pled guilty to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance, a crime for which he was sentenced to five years' probation. In 1995, Lawrence was convicted in state court after a jury trial of criminal sale and criminal possession of cocaine in the third degree, and was sentenced to concurrent terms of four and a half to nine years. 9 In March 1999, the INS initiated removal proceedings against Lawrence by filing a Notice to Appear, which charged that he was removable under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii) and (B)(i) as an alien convicted of an aggravated felony and a controlled substance violation. At his deportation hearing in August 1999, Lawrence conceded that he was deportable as charged, but contended that § 212(c) relief was available to him. The IJ found that Lawrence was ineligible for § 212(c) relief as well as for any other form of relief from removal, and consequently ordered his removal to Jamaica. The IJ's ruling was upheld by the BIA on appeal. 10 Lawrence petitioned the federal district court for a writ of habeas corpus, claiming that he was eligible for § 212(c) relief because his criminal conviction occurred prior to the enactment of IIRIRA. The district court denied the petition on July 20, 2001, holding that it was bound by this court's decision in St. Cyr to conclude that Lawrence was ineligible for such relief because he had not been convicted pursuant to a guilty plea. The district court issued a certificate of appealability, however, because it recognized that our statements in St. Cyr about the application of IIRIRA to pre-IIRIRA convictions obtained after trial could be construed as dicta.