Opinion ID: 4533799
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Abuse of Discretion/Continuance

Text: Kohn next argues that the agency abused its discretion in not granting an additional continuance to allow him to find representation. An IJ “may grant a motion for continuance for good cause shown,” 8 C.F.R. § 1003.29, and is “accorded wide latitude in calendar management.” Morgan v. Gonzales, 445 F.3d 549, 551 (2d Cir. 2006). The denial of a continuance is an abuse of discretion only if the IJ’s decision is founded in “an error of law[,] . . . a clearly erroneous factual finding[,] . . . or cannot be located within the range of permissible decisions.” Id. at 551–52 (quoting Zervos v. Verizon New York, Inc., 252 F.3d 163, 169 (2d Cir. 2001)). Noncitizens in removal proceedings have the statutory and regulatory privilege of representation. See 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(b)(4)(A); see also 8 C.F.R. § 1003.16. To “meaningfully effectuate” this privilege, an IJ “must grant a reasonable and realistic period of time to provide a fair opportunity for a respondent to seek, speak with, and retain counsel.” Matter of C- B-, 25 I. & N. Dec. 888, 889 (BIA 2012). Here, the IJ granted one continuance for Kohn to obtain counsel and did not abuse his discretion in denying a second continuance. Regarding the first continuance, the IJ informed Kohn that he would have “three months to find an attorney” and that if he failed to do so, he would be “required to represent [himself].” CAR at 98. Kohn confirmed his understanding of the IJ’s ruling. Three 4 months is unquestionably a “reasonable and realistic period of time,” Matter of C-B-, 25 I. & N. Dec. at 889, within which to seek and obtain counsel. Cf. Hidalgo-Disla v. INS, 52 F.3d 444, 445-47 (2d Cir. 1995). At the second hearing Kohn appeared without counsel but stated that he had hoped to “meet someone . . . at court.” CAR at 105. The IJ informed Kohn that the court had not received any filings from an attorney on Kohn’s behalf and that Kohn would have to represent himself. Although Kohn had hoped to meet counsel, his inability to name the counsel he expected to meet and the absence of any filings by an attorney on Kohn’s behalf undercut any good cause for granting a continuance, especially given that the IJ had already afforded him a reasonable and realistic period of time within which to retain counsel. The IJ did not abuse his discretion by denying the second continuance. Kohn also asserts that the IJ erred in proceeding with the second hearing despite the fact that Kohn did not agree to waive his right to counsel. This argument is meritless; an IJ need not grant indefinite continuances until a noncitizen explicitly waives his right to counsel. Hidalgo-Disla, 52 F.3d at 447. In HidalgoDisla, this Court determined that no express waiver of counsel is required because doing so would allow a noncitizen “seeking to stave off deportation . . . to win an infinite number of adjournments.” Id. Holding otherwise, moreover, would eviscerate the purpose of deportation hearings — to “provide a streamlined 5 determination of eligibility to remain in this country.” INS v. Lopez-Mendoza, 468 U.S. 1032, 1039 (1984). An important factor affecting when an IJ can proceed without a waiver is the amount of time that is provided to the non-citizen for obtaining counsel. See Hidalgo-Disla, 52 F.3d at 445–47 (finding no error when the IJ proceeded, without express waiver, after granting two continuances totaling 26 days to obtain representation); but see Montilla v. INS, 926 F.3d 162, 164, 169–70 (2d Cir. 1991) (finding error when the IJ proceeded, without express waiver, after one 16-day continuance). The IJ here did not err by failing to obtain an express waiver of counsel after Kohn did not obtain an attorney to represent him, despite the fact that he had been given three months to do so, and had been warned by the IJ that he would have to proceed pro se if he did not find counsel for the second hearing.