Deportation for Drunk Driving? You Need an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney

A new court decision may allow persons convicted of drunk driving in California to be deported. On March 4, 2009, the United States Appeals Court for the Ninth Circuit decided the case of Marmolejo-Campos v. Holder. In the decision, the court said that if you are an immigrant and you commit a crime of moral turpitude, you could be deported.

Court Says You Can Be Deported for DUI

Campos was a Mexican national who was convicted of driving under the influence for the second time. He plead guilty, and he admitted that he was driving with knowledge that his license was suspended or revoked. The Board of Immigration Appeals had ruled Campos could be deported for driving under the influence with a suspended driver’s license.

They found the combination of driving under the influence and a suspended license constituted “moral turpitude,” meaning that he could be deported for his criminal actions. However, Campos appealed the decision to the United States Appeals Court. The appellate court declined to change the original ruling. Due to his guilty plea to a misdemeanor offense, Campos could be deported from the country.

This decision means not only that you could be deported for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol while your license is suspended or revoked, but also that you could be deported from the country if you commit any crime of moral turpitude.

Call the Criminal Defense Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich

If you are accused of DUI or any crime of moral turpitude, your entire future is at stake. You could face severe consequences, including being deported from the U.S. That is why you need to retain the services of an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. At Wallin & Klarich, our skilled attorneys have been successfully defending our clients for over 30 years. We know the courts, we know the judges, and most importantly, we know the law.

With offices in Orange County, Los Angeles, Torrance, Sherman Oaks, Victorville, West Covina, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Ventura, there is an experienced Wallin & Klarich criminal defense attorney available to help you no matter where you are live or work. We’ve helped thousands of clients in their time of legal need, and we can help you too.

Call our offices today at (888) 280-6839 for a free phone consultation. We will get through this together.