The lead prosecutor of Ramsey County will hire an immigration lawyer as part of his staff to help his office deal with several related issues, including deportation from the US. Ramsey County Attorney, John Choi, says that the new lawyer will be particularly helpful when a decision is needed on charging suspects who could be deported if convicted, and if lessening the charges may be appropriate in some circumstances.
Defense attorneys often ask prosecutors to agree to a plea deal or file lesser charges to avoid the automatic triggering of deportation proceedings, something that Choi says is essentially a life sentence and can be complicated decisions to make.
The county often hires immigration lawyers to consult on particularly complex cases, but Choi believes that, with the number of cases increasing, it will be more cost-effective to have such a person as a regular member of staff, and that it will also increase the level of consistency with the consideration of plea deals or charges by his office. Choi notes that the cases involve probationary-type offenses rather than serious crimes, such as rape and murder, where probation would likely be the punishment given to someone with US citizenship but harsh consequences would befall an individual without legal status.
The new lawyer will also be able to help residents with their applications for U US visas, given to crime victims who agree to testify. It is yet uncertain when the new position will be filled.