Santapaola v. Ashcroft

OPINION

GOETTEL, District Judge.

The sole issue presented by this petition for writ of habeas corpus [Doc. #1] is whether petitioner’s conviction for risk of injury to a minor under Conn. Gen.Stat. § 53-21 (1996) constitutes a conviction for a “crime of violence” or “sexual abuse of a minor,” which are “aggravated felonies” under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”). This appears to be an issue of first impression. Our resolution of this issue is complicated by the breadth of the statute, the significant judicial gloss placed on the statute by the Connecticut Supreme Court, 1 and the…