Opinion ID: 853369
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Segura's Claim of Incorrect Advice as to the Law

Text: It is less clear what the general formulation of prejudice taken from Hill means where the ineffective assistance is omitted advice as to potential penal consequences that is claimed to have been material to the petitioner's decision, but would have been equally erroneous whether the defendant pleaded guilty or was convicted at trial. We agree with Chief Judge Aspen that it is far from obvious how a petitioner is to make a showing of prejudice from an error by counsel of this type. United States v. Ryan, 986 F.Supp. 509, 513 (N.D.Ill.1997) (claim that erroneous advice as to length of sentence, career offender status, etc., coerced plea). Segura's claim of ineffective assistance is not based on an allegation of ineffective representation that resulted in overlooked evidence or an unasserted legal defense. Nor does he claim that his counsel failed to develop evidence that would have mitigated his penalty. Rather, he argues that the failure to explain the full penal consequencesin his case, the risk of deportationcaused him to accept a plea agreement that he would have rejected if he had been properly advised. This is for these purposes the same as the claim in Hill that the petitioner was incorrectly advised as to eligibility for parole. Both bear only on the petitioner's claim that he inadequately understood the penal consequences of a guilty plea. Neither suggests that if counsel had performed flawlessly a conviction would not have resulted from a trial or a different penalty would have been imposed.