United States Fourth Circuit

Denial of asylum based on belief that the Ethiopian government sought to prosecute petitioner for obstruction of justice is vacated where the IJ failed to consider whether the government possessed coexisting illicit motives for taking action against petitioner. (Modified opinion)

Appellate Information

• Argued 11/29/2005
• Decided 06/14/2006
• Published 06/14/2006

Judges

• Before WILLIAMS, KING, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  David Allen Garfield, Washington, D.C., for Petitioner.   Theodore Charles Hirt, Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Immigration Litigation, Civil Division, Washington, D.C., for Respondent.   ON BRIEF:  Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, Margaret Perry, Senior Litigation, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Immigration Litigation, Civil Division, Washington, D.C., for Respondent.