Brito-Batista v. State

DECISION

Before this Court is the application of Roberto Brito-Batista ("Brito-Batista" or "petitioner") for post-conviction relief. Brito-Batista contends that he was denied his right to effective assistance of counsel prior to entering a plea of nolo contendere to one count of simple possession of cocaine. This plea, entered in 1997, now carries the potential of deportation for Brito-Batista. The Court is mindful that immigration generally and deportation specifically is today, as it has been periodically throughout our nation's history, a highly publicized, impassioned, and divisive topic.…