Opinion ID: 199022
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Procedural Facts and Relevant Statutes

Text: 3 This case is governed by a somewhat complex web of federal and state statutes. Section 1326(a), the statute under which Luna was indicted, states in pertinent part: 4 Subject to subsection (b) of this section, any alien who - 5 (1) has been denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed... and thereafter 6 (2) enters... the United States, unless... the Attorney General has expressly consented... 7 shall be fined under Title 18, or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both. Section 1326(b) provides that: 8 Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, in the case of any alien described in such subsection -... 9 (2) whose removal was subsequent to a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony, such alien shall be fined under [Title 18], imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. 10 United States Sentencing Guidelines Manual (U.S.S.G.) § 2L1.2 is the relevant guideline provision for violations of § 1326. Section 2L1.2 sets a base offense level of 8. Subsection (b) of § 2L1.2 provides for enhancements based on specific offense characteristics. It states: 11 (b) Specific Offense Characteristic 12 (1) If the defendant previously was deported after a criminal conviction... increase as follows....: 13 (A) If the conviction was for an aggravated felony, increase by 16 levels. 14 U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b). 15 After pleading guilty, Luna obtained a continuance of his sentencing hearing in order to challenge his earlier 1993 conviction in a Massachusetts state court. Luna then moved in state court to vacate his previous conviction. As support for this motion, Luna cited Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 278 § 29D (1998). This law, which applies in all criminal cases in Massachusetts, mandates a warning to defendants pleading guilty, that a guilty plea may have adverse immigration consequences. Chapter 278, § 29D states: 16 The court shall not accept a plea of guilty... from any defendant in any criminal proceeding unless the court advises such defendant of the following: 17 If you are not a citizen of the United States, you are hereby advised that conviction of the offense for which you have been charged may have the consequences of deportation, exclusion from admission to the United States, or denial of naturalization, pursuant to the laws of the United States. The defendant shall not be required at the time of the plea to disclose to the court his legal status in the United States 18 If the court fails so to advise the defendant, and he later at any time shows that his plea and conviction may have one of the enumerated consequences, the court, on the defendant's motion, shall vacate the judgment, and permit the defendant to withdraw the plea of guilty.... Absent a record that the court provided the advisement required by this section, the defendant shall be presumed not to have received the required advisement. 19 In a proceeding before the state court, the judge who had accepted the original plea examined the docket and record from the 1993 conviction. The court noted that the box marked Advised of Alien Rights had not been checked. 1 In keeping with § 29D's presumption, the court vacated the plea. 20 After vacating the 1993 conviction, Luna moved in federal district court to advance his sentencing. At sentencing, Luna claimed that § 2L1.2(b) no longer applied to him, because he had vacated his conviction. The government disagreed, arguing instead that the relevant time for determination of felon status is the time of deportation, not the time of sentencing on the re-entry offense. The district court accepted the defendant's view and declined to apply the 16-level enhancement. The government objected to the resulting sentence of eighteen months, and this appeal ensued.