Opinion ID: 790557
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Albillo-DeLeon Is Entitled to Equitable Tolling

Text: 42 We must next determine whether equitable tolling is appropriate in this case. See Burnett, 380 U.S. at 427, 85 S.Ct. 1050 (requiring that the court determine whether congressional purpose is effectuated by tolling the statute of limitations in[these] circumstances); King v. California, 784 F.2d 910, 914-15 (9th Cir.1986) (stating that the basic inquiry in decid[ing] whether equitable tolling should apply is whether tolling the statute in certain situations will effectuate ... congressional purpose). 43
44 Albillo-DeLeon contends that the deadline for filing his motion to reopen should be equitably tolled because his untimeliness was the direct result of ineffective assistance of counsel. It is well established in this circuit that ineffective assistance of counsel, where a nonattorney engaged in fraudulent activity causes an essential action in his or her client's case to be undertaken ineffectively, may equitably toll the statute of limitations. See Fajardo v. INS, 300 F.3d 1018, 1020 (9th Cir.2002); Rodriguez-Lariz v. INS, 282 F.3d 1218, 1224 (9th Cir.2002); Socop-Gonzalez v. INS, 272 F.3d 1176, 1187-88, 1193-96 (9th Cir.2001); Varela v. INS, 204 F.3d 1237, 1240 (9th Cir. 2000); Lopez v. INS, 184 F.3d 1097, 1098 (9th Cir.1999). 45 For example, in Lopez, the petitioner hired counsel to represent him in obtaining a work permit. Id. at 1098. Unknown to Lopez, he had retained the services of a notary, not a licensed attorney. See id. at 1099. The notary filed an application for political asylum (rather than a work permit), instructed Lopez not to attend the INS interview or deportation hearing, and failed to appear on Lopez's behalf. See id. at 1098. Lopez was ordered deported in absentia. See id. at 1099. Lopez hired new counsel and filed a motion to reopen his proceedings because of ineffective assistance of counsel, which the BIA dismissed as untimely. See id. at 1098. On appeal, we reversed, holding that the statute of limitations to reopen an order of deportation is equitably tolled where the alien's late petition is the result of the deceptive actions by a notary posing as an attorney. Id. at 1100. 46 Like Lopez, Albillo-DeLeon was affirmatively deceived by a nonattorney. On September 10, 1998, within the filing deadline, Albillo-DeLeon paid Mendez to file a motion to reopen under NACARA. When Albillo-DeLeon did not receive any correspondence from the Immigration Court or from Mendez, he followed-up with Mendez. Growing suspicious of Mendez, Albillo-DeLeon acted diligently, seeking the advice of a clerk at the Immigration Court and filing a FOIA request to determine the true status of his file. When Albillo-DeLeon learned of Mendez's deception, he retained an attorney and filed a second motion to reopen. Albillo-DeLeon's first motion was not filed solely because of Mendez's inaction and deception. Therefore, we find equitable tolling appropriate in this case. 47
48 The government asserts that Albillo-DeLeon's motion to reopen is untimely because he first learned that he had received ineffective assistance in September 1999 but failed to file his motion to reopen until August 2000. 49 In tolling statutes of limitations, courts have typically assumed that the event that `tolls' the statute simply stops the clock until the occurrence of a later event that permits the statute to resume running. Socop-Gonzalez, 272 F.3d at 1195. Equitable tolling will be applied in situations where, despite all due diligence, [the party requesting equitable tolling] is unable to obtain vital information bearing on the existence of the claim. Supermail Cargo, Inc. v. United States, 68 F.3d 1204, 1207 (9th Cir.1995) (internal quotations and citation omitted). 50 Albillo-DeLeon first became concerned with Mendez's performance in September 1999. But Albillo-DeLeon did not definitively learn that Mendez failed to file his motion until April 3, 2000, when Albillo-DeLeon received a copy of his court file pursuant to his FOIA request. Only when Albillo-DeLeon received his court file on April 3, 2000, did he finally obtain vital information bearing on the existence of the claim. Id. 51 Nor was Albillo-DeLeon's September 1999 to April 2000 delay in obtaining this vital information due to any lack of diligence on his part. Further, once he became suspicious, Albillo-DeLeon acted diligently in making his FOIA request and retaining new counsel. See Iturribarria v. INS, 321 F.3d 889, 897 (9th Cir.2003) (recognizing equitable tolling on motion to reopen during periods when petitioner is prevented from filing because of deception, fraud, or error, as long as the petitioner acts with due diligence in discovering the deception, fraud, or error); Rodriguez-Lariz, 282 F.3d at 1225 (finding due diligence where petitioners, after learning conclusively that they had been misled by a non-attorney, promptly retained new counsel and filed a motion to reopen). Once Albillo-DeLeon became suspicious of Mendez's performance, he promptly contacted the Immigration Court and filed his FOIA request. Accordingly, we find that Albillo-DeLeon's deadline for filing his motion to reopen was tolled to April 3, 2000, the date he conclusively learned of Mendez's deficient representation. 52 Section 203(c) provides aliens with 238 days to file a motion to reopen proceedings. See NACARA § 203(c) (recommending to the Attorney General that the period for filing a motion to reopen not exceed 240 days); 8 C.F.R. § 1003.43(e)(1) (allowing aliens to file a motion to reopen from January 16, 1998 to September 11, 1998-238 days). In this case, Albillo-DeLeon filed his motion to reopen on August 2, 2000, 121 days after he received his FOIA response. Because Albillo-DeLeon filed his motion to reopen within 121 days of learning that Mendez failed to file his motion to reopen—well under the 238 days afforded by section 203(c)—we find that it was timely filed.