Savchuk v. Mukasey, 518 F.3d 119 (2d Cir. Mar. 4, 2008) (New York conviction of grand larceny in the Fourth Degree, in violation of Section 155.30 of the New York Penal Law, a Class E felony, constituted a conviction, under INA 101(a)(48)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(48)(A), for deportation purposes under INA 237(a)(2)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(2)(A)(ii) for multiple CMT convictions, despite the fact that it was committed while the noncitizen was under the age of 18 years, since he pled guilty after he turned eighteen and New York treated him as an adult offender, rejecting the argument that if this case had arisen under federal criminal law, the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act would not have permitted transfer to adult court, and the federal juvenile adjudication would not have been considered a conviction for immigration purposes).



The court stated: "While Savchuck's approach is inventive, it finds no support in the text of 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(48)(A) . . . . The statute encompasses state court adjudications and does not sanction disregarding them because of the theoretical possibility that criminal conduct might be treated differently by federal authorities. Savchuck's position has been rejected by the First and Ninth Circuits. See Vieira Garcia v. INS, 239 F.3d 409, 413 (1st Cir. 2001) ("Once adjudicated by the state court, as either a juvenile or an adult, we are bound by that determination."); Vargas-Hernandez v. Gonzales, 497 F.3d 919, 923 (9th Cir. 2007) (finding state treatment of petitioner as adult determinative). We join these Circuits and hold that, because Savchuck's grand larceny conviction qualifies as a conviction under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(48)(A), the BIA correctly found him removable." (Savchuk v. Mukasey, 518 F.3d 119, 122 (2d Cir. Mar. 4, 2008).

jurisdiction: 
Second Circuit

 

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