Opinion
BENJAMIN B. WAGNER, United States Attorney, SUSAN PHAN, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Fresno, CA.
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF GOVERNMENT'S MOTION FOR DEFENDANT'S FINGERPRINTS
ANTHONY W. ISHII, District Judge.
I. STATEMENT OF FACTS
Defendant LEONEL AYON-ONTIVEROS is charged with illegal reentry of a deported alien. 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(2). AYON-ONTIVEROS is a native and citizen of Mexico. On or about December 30, 1998, defendant was sentenced to one (1) year imprisonment for inflicting corporal injury to a spouse, in violation of California Penal Code § 243.5(a). On or about April 29, 2005, defendant was removed from the United States pursuant to an Immigration Judge's Order. Defendant was thereafter found by immigration authorities, specifically Immigration Enforcement Agent ("IEA") Nancy Gonzalez, in Bakersfield, CA, in the Eastern District of California, on or about August 13, 2008. Defendant provided Gonzalez a sworn statement admitting his prior removal and lack of permission to reenter the United States.
To establish that the defendant was a previously deported alien found in the Eastern District of California, the government seeks to obtain fingerprint samples from the defendant to compare with documents in his immigration file.
II. ARGUMENT
The Supreme Court has held that the taking of non-testimonial exemplars from a defendant does not violate the Fourth or Fifth Amendments. Schmerber v. California, 384 U.S. 757, 760-64 (1966). Once probable cause is established and an arrest is made, he retains no constitutional privacy interest against his correct identification. Friedman v. Boucher, 580 F.3d 847, 863 (9th Cir. 2009). Fingerprint samples are physical evidence, which are non-testimonial in nature. U.S. v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 223 (1967)(compulsion to submit to fingerprinting, does not become testimonial within the scope of the privilege against self-incrimination).
III. CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing, the Government respectfully requests that the defendant be ordered to submit to the taking of fingerprint samples in a manner directed by the Government.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that defendant LEONEL AYON-ONTIVEROS allow Government agents to obtain fingerprint samples from him in a manner directed by the Government.