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- Rodney Mesriani is a former Law Clerk to U.S. District Court Honorable Judge William J. Rea and to the California Department of Corporations.
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Mendoza-Mazariegos v. Mukasey
Cite as No. 05-70163
Immigrant Granted Another Chance In Deportation Case
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals , in (Mendoza-Mazariegos v. Mukasey - filed December 6, 2007, Cite as No. 05-70163) through a three-judge panel led by Harry Pregerson, granted Jorge Mario Mendoza Mazariegos, an immigrant from Guatemala, another chance to fight his deportation. In a unanimously-voted opinion, the federal appeals court said that Mazariegos’ right to counsel was denied and as a result, granted his petition for review.
The deportation case started about nine years ago when the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) caught Jorge Mario Mendoza Mazariegos for being an illegal alien. The INS detained Mazariegos at the detention center in Florence, Arizona.
Since Mazariegos’ first court appearance in August 7, 1998, his immigration case took different turns. His case was transferred to California; he was allowed to post bail. He also hired a lawyer, Steven Paek, who reiterated Mazaniegos’ wish to apply for the cancellation of removal. But Mazariego’s immigration case suffered setbacks due to hearing delays.
In commenting about this, the panel said Mazariego was a victim of the so-called ‘notarios’, unlicensed legal aides who prey on immigrants. According to the panel, Mazariego was forced to proceed without a lawyer, after Steven Paek apparently deserted him. Following this, he hired a new counsel, Nana Boachie-Yiadom, to replace Paek. The new counsel immediately asked the immigration court to delay the proceeding so she could familiarize herself with the case, which the immigration judge did not grant.
The federal appeals court criticized the conduct of Judge Thomas Fong during the deportation trial in 2003. According to the panel, the judge showed little consideration of Mazariegos’ “unfamiliarity with the language and the legal system” which, in effect, had forced the Guatemalan immigrant to proceed with the hearing without a lawyer.
Therefore, the federal appeals court ruled that Mazariego’s right to counsel was denied and recommended a review of the case.
