Juan Perez-Gonzalez v. Eric Holder, Jr.
2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 639
| 5th Cir. | 2012Background
- Perez-Gonzalez pled guilty in Montana (1986) to sexual intercourse without consent, a felony under MT law §45-5-503(1).
- The charging document and plea admitted non-consensual sexual intercourse with a person of the opposite sex, not his spouse; facts regarding digital penetration are not clearly memorialized.
- ICE sought removal as an aggravated felony under 8 U.S.C. §1227(a)(2)(A)(iii) based on the conviction.
- An IJ and the BIA concluded he is removable, denied a waiver, and held the statute matched rape; the BIA did not decide sexual abuse of a minor.
- The court applies de novo review of whether the Montana conviction is an aggravated felony, using categorical and modified categorical approaches.
- The court ultimately holds that digital penetration is not “rape” under 18 U.S.C. §1101(a)(43)(A) and remands for further proceedings.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether digital penetration falls within rape for AGF classification | Perez-Gonzalez—digital penetration not rape under 1101(a)(43)(A) | Government—statutory meaning aligns with rape | Not necessarily rape; remand for proper factual/conviction categorization |
| Whether the modified categorical approach can rely on limited documents | Documents show rape in charging/plea | Documents insufficient to prove necessarily rape | Two documents insufficient; remand to BIA |
Key Cases Cited
- Moncrieffe v. Holder, 662 F.3d 387 (5th Cir. 2011) (de novo review of aggravated felony conviction)
- Larin-Ulloa v. Gonzales, 462 F.3d 456 (5th Cir. 2006) (categorical vs. modified approach; 'necessarily' standard)
- Nolos v. Holder, 611 F.3d 279 (5th Cir. 2010) (documentary approach limitations)
- Omari v. Gonzales, 419 F.3d 303 (5th Cir. 2005) (permitted sources for plea-based analysis under modified approach)
- Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13 (2005) (acceptance of certain documents to define underlying crime)
- Gonzales v. Duenas-Alvarez, 549 U.S. 183 (Supreme Court 2007) (realistic probability standard for application of modified approach)
- United States v. Guidry, 456 F.3d 493 (5th Cir. 2006) (statutory interpretation of crime definitions for AGF)