Opinion ID: 791331
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: lack of counsel at deportation hearing

Text: 18 Rivera-Sillas first argues that the district court should have dismissed the indictment because the use of his uncounseled 2000 deportation as basis for his sentence violated his Sixth Amendment rights. His argument fails, and we affirm the district court's refusal to dismiss the indictment on this ground. 19 Rivera-Sillas argues that Alabama v. Shelton 3 dictates that the district court may not sentence him to imprisonment based on his underlying, uncounseled deportation. Shelton was convicted in Alabama, without the aid of counsel, of misdemeanor assault. The trial court sentenced him to a thirty-day jail term, but immediately suspended the sentence. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed. The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed Shelton's conviction, but invalidated the jail term, holding that a defendant may not be sentenced to a term of imprisonment absent provision of counsel. 4 The United States Supreme Court agreed, stating that Shelton is entitled to appointed counsel at the critical stage when his guilt or innocence of the charged crime is decided and his vulnerability to imprisonment is determined.... 5 20 Rivera-Sillas argues that his situation mirrors Shelton's, as he lacked counsel during the hearing underlying his 2000 deportation, and that deportation is now being used as a basis for imprisonment. This argument is without merit. The Alabama and United States Supreme Courts invalidated Shelton's sentence because he was entitled to counsel at his underlying criminal proceeding. In contrast, the law does not entitle aliens to counsel at deportation hearings. A deportation proceeding is administrative in nature and is not accompanied by a right to counsel. 6 That the resultant deportation might be used against him in a later, unrelated criminal prosecution does not create a right to counsel. Thus, the fact that Rivera-Sillas had no counsel at his underlying deportation hearing creates no constitutional problem. We affirm Rivera-Sillas's § 1326 conviction and sentence for being found in the United States after being deported. 21 Moreover, Rivera-Sillas is not now in prison for the underlying deportation. He is in prison because the court found him guilty of the crime of being found in the United States after having been deported. A defendant need not have had counsel at his underlying deportation hearing in order to be convicted and sentenced under 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Accordingly, we affirm the district court.