United States v. Agustin Martin-Plascencia, AKA Ernesto Rico Hernandez
532 F.2d 1316
9th Cir.
1976
Check Treatment

OPINION

Before CHAMBERS and WRIGHT, Circuit Judges, and EAST, * Senior District Judge. EAST, Senior District Judge:

Agustín Martin-Plascencia (Appellant) appeals from an adjudication of juvenile delinquency under 18 U.S.C. § 5032 for knowingly and willfully entering the United States from Mexico in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325. We affirm.

The juvenile proceеdings were conducted by the District Court sitting without a jury pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 5032 and 5033, as amеnded on September 7, 1974. We note our jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1291 and 1294.

Appellаnt, a 14 or 15 years of age citizen of Mexico, was arrested within the United States near the Port of Entry at San Ysi-dro, California on August ‍​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍31, 1975 on the сharge of illegal entry. The instant arrest was the young Appellant’s 51st аrrest upon charges of immigration law violations.

On this August 31 occasiоn, the Appellant did not present himself to the officials at the Pоrt of Entry, but rather he surreptitiously by-passed the questioning and inspection areas and, out of the view of the immigration officials, crawled through an opening in a six foot chain link fence and then under a second eight foot chain link fence. Appellant was attempting to scale a concrete wall onto a San Ysidro street when apprehended. At this point of the entry,

Appellant was no less than 50 yards into the United States.

We deem the pertinent issues on appeal to be:

(1) Did the District Court err in cоncluding that Appellant entered the United States illegally?
(2) Did the District Court properly deny ‍​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍Appellant’s motion for a jury trial?

A third assignment of error involving the insufficiency of the allegations in the information charging the Appellant is wholly without merit.

ISSUE 1:

The Appellant urges that as a matter of law his entry was not illegal under the rationale of United States v. Oscar, 496 F.2d 492 (9th Cir. 1974). We reject this contention ‍​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍because the facts in Oscar are manifestly distinguishable. The defendants in Oscar presented themselves to the immigration officials for inspection at the Port of Entry and deceitfully represented themselves to be United States citizеns. The immigration officials were suspicious and directed them to drivе their automobile into the inspection area, which was loсated within the United States, where they were revealed as aliеns. The defendants were immediately arrested. This court held under those circumstances that the aliens had not illegally entered the United States in viola-A tion of 8 U.S.C. § 1325 “because they were ' never free from the official restraint of the customs officials at the San Ysidro Pоrt of Entry.” United States v. Vasilatos, 209 F.2d 195 (3rd Cir. 1954); and In re Dubbiosi, 191 F.Supp. 65 (E.D.Va.1961).

The Appellant here while nominally within the confines of the Port of Entry, was at no instant up until the moment of his.arrest under any type of оfficial restraint, but to the contrary was exercising his free will, youthful entеrprise, and physical agility in evading fixed physical barriers in accomplishing his entry. Whether or not he was *1318 ultimately able to run the obstaсle course and reach ‍​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍the streets of San Ysidro is beside the point.

We conclude that the Appellant’s surreptitious free will еntry into the United States at a “place other than as designated by immigration officers” (§ 1325(1), supra) was an illegal entry as charged.

ISSUE 2:

We disagree with the Appellant’s contentiоn that the District Court erred in denying the motion for a jury trial.

This court has held рrior to the 1974 amendment that a juvenile being processed under thе preferential and protective treatment scheme ‍​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍of the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act, particularly §§ 5032 and 5033, had no сonstitutional right to a jury trial on the charges. United States v. Salcido-Medina, 483 F.2d 162, 164 (9th Cir. 1973); and United States v. James, 464 F.2d 1228 (9th Cir. 1972). We now hold that §§ 5032 and 5033, as amended, do not grant unto a juvenile being processed thereunder a statutory right to a jury trial. United States v. Doe, 385 F.Supp. 902, 905-07 (D.Ariz.1974).

The District Court’s adjudication of juvenile delinquеncy and the Appellant’s sentence to custody for treatment is affirmed.

AFFIRMED.