California Criminal Lawyer Blog

In People v. Bonilla, the inth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that:

“A criminal defendant who faces almost certain deportation is entitled to know more than that it is possible that a guilty plea could lead to removal; he is entitled to know that it is a virtual certainty.”

Previously, criminal defendants pleading guilty were required to be informed of the "possibility" of certain immigration consequences, such as deportation and denial of naturalization. This new case raises the bar. Now, defendants must be told - in cases where deportation is almost a certainty - that the conviction will virtual assure deportation.

To read the entire case, click HERE.