Eastern District of California Blog

Sekhon Defendants' Sentencing Hearing Continued to June 29, 2010

With Jagdip Sekhon's forfeiture court trial still on-going, the Court has continued the sentencings for all five defendants in the Sekhon case from May 21 to June 29, 2010, at 11a.m.

Sentencings for Sekhon Defendants Continued (Again) To May 21, 2010

At the request of the probation office, the sentencings for all defendants in the Sekhon & Sekhon case has been continued again from April 16 to May 21, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.

Government Dismisses Count 11 Against Caza in Sekhon & Sekhon Case

In response to Assistant Federal Defender Tim Zindel's supplemental brief, the government moved to dismiss count 11 against defendant Iosif Caza in the Sekhon & Sekhon case.  See 3/12/10 Sekhon Gov't Mtn To Dismiss Count 11 Against Caza

Court Denies Sekhon Defendants' Motions for New Trial and Judgment of Acquittal

At a hearing this morning, Judge Damrell denied the Sekhon defendants' motions for new trial and/or judgment of acquittal.  The only exception was Caza's motion for acquittal on count 11, which the court set for further briefing before decision.  

Sekhon & Sekhon Defendants' Sentencings Continued to April 16, 2010

The sentencings for all Sekhon & Sekhon defendants have been continued to April 16, 2010, at 10 a.m.  The hearing on the defendants' motions for judgment of acquittal and for a new trial has been continued to February 19, 2010, at 10 a.m.  Defendant Jagdip Sekhon's forfeiture trial has been continued to April 9, 2010, at 10 a.m.

Sekhon Defendants' Sentencings Continued to February 19, 2010

The sentencings for all five defendants in the U.S. v. Sekhon, et. al. case have been continued to February 19, 2010, at 10 a.m.  The Court also continued the hearing on defendants' motions for new trial and/or judgment of acquittal to January 22, 2010, at 10 a.m.

Sekhon Fraud Convictions May Lead To Re-Opening Hundreds of Former Clients' Asylum Claims

Steve Maganini's insightful piece in today's Sacramento Bee highlights the difficulties facing immigration judges in evaluating asylum claims.  The article also notes that the San Francisco asylum office is interviewing each of the up to 700 former Sekhon clients to determine whether the government should seek to revoke their asylum. 

For years, Sacramento's Sekhon & Sekhon law firm was renowned as a beacon of hope.

The firm, boasting a 95 percent success rate, helped more than 1,000 immigrants from a half-dozen nations get political asylum in the United States based on a fear of persecution.

Many of those new asylees now stand to be deported, because as many as 700 – coached by the firm's lawyers and interpreters – told phony stories of torture and rape to immigration judges and asylum officers.

In June, following a three-month trial in Sacramento's federal court, three of the firm's lawyers and two interpreters were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government. Prosecutors call it one of the most brazen immigration scams in U.S. history.

* * *

In the wake of the Sekhon case, the San Francisco asylum office is interviewing each of the 700 people caught up in the scam to decide whether to revoke their asylum.

If the government ends up sending hundreds of cases back to immigration court, they're going to pose a tremendous challenge, Judge Marks said.

"These are going to be hotly contested cases as to whether or not the person who says he was prejudiced by an unethical lawyer deserves a second chance," Marks said. "We're going to have to work through them case by case, judge by judge, and it's the judge's job not to be cynical and burned out."

Sekhon Forfeiture Court Trial Continued

By minute order today, Judge Damrell granted Jagdip Singh Sekhon's motion to continue his forfeiture court trial from November 13, 2009 to January 22, 2010. 

Sekhon Scheduling Update

While the other defendants remain scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2009, Jagprit Sekhon's sentencing has been continued to January 11, 2010, at 10 a.m.  A forfeiture court trial with respect to his brother Jagdip Sekhon has also been set for November 13, 2009, at 10 a.m.    

Sekhon & Sekhon Sentencings Continued to December 17, 2009, 10 a.m.

Sentencings for all defendants in the Sekhon & Sekhon immigration fraud case have been continued to December 17, 2009, at 10 a.m. 

[On September 30, 2009, the Court also continued defendants' motions for judgment of acquittal and for a new trial to December 17, 2009, 10 a.m.]