Opinion ID: 1264167
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Text: The IJ distinguished Lujan-Armendariz on the ground that Ramirez-Altamirano was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia, while the FFOA applies to offenders charged only with possession of drugs. We rejected the identical argument in Cardenas-Uriarte, 227 F.3d at 1137. Because there is no rational basis for treating individuals found guilty of possessing drug paraphernalia more harshly than those found guilty of possessing the actual drugs themselves, we again reject this reason as a basis for denying Ramirez-Altamirano relief. In Cardenas-Uriarte, the petitioner originally was charged with two counts of possession of drugs but eventually pled guilty to the lesser offense of possession of drug paraphernalia. 227 F.3d at 1137. We noted that, on its face, the FFOA appears to cover only individuals found guilty of actual drug possession. Id. However, Congress had no need to include possession of drug paraphernalia explicitly under the FFOA because no federal statute made such possession a crime. Id. We held that possession of drug paraphernalia was implicitly included under the FFOA because to conclude otherwise would frustrate congressional intent and lead to an absurd result. Id. Congress intended the FFOA to provide relief for first-time offenders convicted of the least serious drug offenses. Id. It would be an absurd result if a defendant found guilty of drug possession would qualify for FFOA relief, but one who pled guilty only to possession of drug paraphernalia would still be considered convicted of a controlled substance offense for immigration purposes. Id. Therefore, [w]here possession of drug paraphernalia is a less serious offense than simple possession of a controlled substance. . ., congressional intent indicates that it should be included under the [FFOA]. Id. That the reasoning in Cardenas-Uriarte applies squarely to the facts of this case is not disputed by our dissenting colleague. See Dissent at 4281. Ramirez-Altamirano originally was charged both with possession of drugs under California Health and Safety Code section 11350 and possession of drug paraphernalia under section 11364 of the same code. Ramirez-Altamirano eventually pled guilty only to the drug paraphernalia charge, a misdemeanor under state law. See Cal. Health & Safety Code § 11364. If he had instead pled guilty to the more serious drug possession charge, Ramirez-Altamirano's conviction would have qualified him for relief under the FFOA. The structure of his plea agreement obviously was intended to minimize his culpability by allowing him to avoid facing the more serious drug possession charge, and reflects the state's view as to the seriousness of the offense. We can conceive of no rational basis for treating Ramirez-Altamirano more harshly than a federal defendant found guilty of possessing drugs who would be eligible for immigration relief under the FFOA. We acknowledged in Cardenas-Uriarte that a state statute criminalizing possession of drug paraphernalia could, in theory, be more serious than one criminalizing simple drug possession. 227 F.3d at 1137 n. 6. As an example, we imagined a statute that also criminalized possession of the ingredients and machinery to create methamphetamine. Id. We continue to agree that, if such a statute exists, convictions thereunder might be meaningfully distinguished from the drug possession convictions eligible for relief under the FFOA exception. However, the California statute under which Ramirez-Altamirano was convicted does not raise such concerns. California Health and Safety Code section 11364 prohibits only the possession of a device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia used for unlawfully injecting or smoking certain controlled substances. If Congress intended the FFOA to permit[ ] first-time drug offenders who commit the least serious type of drug offense to avoid the drastic consequences that follow from a criminal conviction, Lujan-Armendariz, 222 F.3d at 735, it would be absurd to deny relief to individuals who possess the utensils incidental to drug ingestion but grant relief to those who possess the actual illicit drugs. Therefore, under Cardenas-Uriarte, persons convicted for possession of drug paraphernalia under California Health and Safety Code section 11364 are eligible for the same immigration treatment as those convicted of drug possession under the FFOA, and the IJ erred as a matter of law by denying Ramirez-Altamirano's application for cancellation of removal on this ground.