United States v. Herrera-Valdez

Herrera-Valdez became a permanent resident of the U.S. in 1990. In 1992, Herrera-Valdez was charged under 21 U.S.C. 846, 841(b)(2), pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and was sentenced to 70 months in prison. After his 1997 release, INS took custody of Herrera-Valdez. At a removal hearing, Herrera-Valdez admitted that he was convicted of an aggravated felony. The IJ denied his request for a waiver and ordered Herrera-Valdez deported. The Chicago District Counsel of the INS at the time was DerYeghiayan, who later became a judge in the Northern District of Illinois. The Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed an appeal and a motion to reopen because Herrera-Valdez did not follow technical requirements. In 2003, Herrera-Valdez returned to Mexico. In 2008, he re-entered the U.S. In 2009, he was arrested for the manufacture and/or delivery of 15-100 grams of cocaine, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. In 2012, Herrera-Valdez was indicted for illegal reentry, 8 U.S.C. 1326(a). The case was assigned to Der-Yeghiayan, who had left INS in 2000. Herrera-Valdez filed a motion to disqualify under 28 U.S.C. 455, which was denied. The Seventh Circuit reversed his conviction, finding that the judge should have granted the motion to disqualify. View "United States v. Herrera-Valdez" on Justia Law