Article: Courts Face Equal Strain From Incessant Immigrant Casework.

Byline: Brittney Booth

Feb. 6--EDINBURG -- In the dozen years he's presided over the 370th bench, state District Judge Noe Gonzalez doubts he's ever called an entire criminal docket without dealing with a defendant's immigration issues. In fact, illegal immigrants are so common at the Hidalgo County Courthouse that judges and prosecutors face a daily dilemma in deciding how to factor immigration statuses into plea recommendations and sentencing -- even though immigration violations are a federal crime. "Most judges try hard to treat everyone the same, but (immigration status) is a factor," Gonzalez said. The federal and state systems often collide as ...

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