December 13, 2013 - 12 Year Old Felony Conviction Vacated Which Which Would Have Led to Deportation if Not Vacated

December 13, 2013, in a second Padilla v. Kentucky win in as many weeks, another Florida State Circuit Court granted relief for a second client of Mr. Kent's in vacating a 12 year old felony conviction, which, if not vacated, would have resulted in this client being deported to Cambodia, a country he has never seen.  This client was born in a United Nations refugee camp in Thailand after his mother fled a Khmer Rouge death camp in Cambodia.  His siblings all died in the Cambodia Killing Fields.  He was sponsored by a local United Methodist Church to enter the United States as an infant in his mother's arms.  Until recently such persons were not deportable as a practical matter because Cambodia refused to accept the repatriation as Cambodian citizens refugees who were born of Cambodian parents outside Cambodia in United Nations refugee camps.  Likewise, Thailand did not accord citizenship to refugees born on Thai soil in U.N. refugee camps - leaving persons such as this client stateless.  Under pressure, however, from the current administration, Cambodia relented and ICE had started removing persons with convictions rendering them removable.  We want to thank the local ICE office, however, for patiently working with our client and withholding action on his removal until the court had resolved his post-conviction claim.  We also thank Florida Fourth Circuit Court Judge Mark Hulsey, III, who granted our client's 3.850 motion on the basis of Padilla and manifest injustice grounds.  For a video clip of Judge Hulsey, please follow this link.  For another short video on Judge Hulsey, please follow this link.