Castano v. State

The appellant, Claudia Vergara Castaño, timely appeals the denial of her rule 3.850 motion1 alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. Although she raises several points on appeal, only one merits discussion. That is, Castaño contends her lawyer was ineffective for failing to apprise her of the immigration consequences of her plea.

Castaño, who owned and operated a day care center out of her home, was charged with child neglect, a third-degree felony, when 'a child under her care was found wandering in her neighborhood. Castaño was represented by counsel and ultimately entered a plea to the…