The Minnesota Court of Appeals says defendants may withdraw a guilty plea if they are not told a conviction could result in deportation.
The court on Monday sided with Rene Reyes Campos. Campos said if he knew he risked being deported for a conviction for simple robbery for the benefit of a gang, he never would have pleaded guilty.
Campos was 17 when he was charged in Hennepin County in 2009, and had been a lawful U.S. resident for about seven years. He agreed to plead guilty as an adult and get a stayed sentence. He was not told the plea could affect his immigration status. Last June, Campos moved to withdraw his plea.