People v. Valdez

Illinois Supreme Court
Criminal Court
Guilty Pleas
Citation
Case Number: 
2016 IL 119860
Decision Date: 
Thursday, September 22, 2016
District: 
3d Dist.
Division/County: 
Bureau Co.
Holding: 
Appellate court reversed; circuit court affirmed.
Justice: 
BURKE

Defendant pled guilty to burglary and was sentenced to 3 years probation. At time of plea, Defendant was a citizen of Dominican Republic, and a resident alien of U.S. based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. During plea hearing, judge advised him that a burglary conviction may have consequences of deportation, exclusion from admission to U.S., or denial of naturalization under laws of U.S. Defendant later filed motion to withdraw his guilty plea, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and involuntariness. The immigration consequences of conviction were not "succinct, clear, and explicit", so as to require a warning by counsel that deportation was presumptively mandatory. Thus, counsel was required to give Defendant only a general warning of possibility of immigration consequences. Defendant sufficiently alleged that his counsel's performance was constitutionally deficient, as counsel gave him no advice about immigrations consequences before entering his guilty plea. Court's admonishments cured any prejudice, and thus court properly denied Defendant's motion to withdraw guilty plea.(GARMAN, FREEMAN, THOMAS, KILBRIDE, KARMEIER, and THEIS, concurring.)