Ecuadorean immigrant hopes to stay in US
Published:Friday | March 21, 2014 | 12:00 AM
HARTFORD (AP):
An Ecuadorean immi-grant facing possible deportation said on Wednesday that he hopes to be allowed to stay in the United States after a court removed a felony conviction stemming from a clash with a now-disgraced Connecticut police officer.
Edgar Marin, 32, was allowed to plead guilty on Monday to reduced charges related to his encounter with Officer Dennis Spaulding, who was among four East Haven officers arrested in a scandal over police abuse of Latinos.
Marin, a legal US resident, struck a plea agreement in 2011 that led to his conviction on a charge of assaulting an officer. He was sentenced to two years' probation and then, in January, US immigration agents detained him and moved to return him to Ecuador on grounds that he was a convicted felon.
prevent deportation
"They never told me this was going to be a consequence," said Marin, who was released on bond from detention last week.
In an effort to prevent deportation, Marin's law-yers said the charges should be reduced, arguing that Spaulding has been discredited by his criminal conviction. Defence lawyer David Forsythe said prosecutors cooperated with the request. On Monday, Marin was allowed to plead guilty to the misdemeanour charge of interference with an officer.