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Citizens typically not offered free defense in Vermont courts for misdemeanor charge
By Guy Page
A St. Johnsbury man who is a non-U.S. citizen was given a defense lawyer at public expense specifically because the Vermont Superior Court judge feared an adverse verdict could lead to his deportation.
As reported in today’s Caledonian-Record, a daily newspaper published in St. Johnsbury, Jeffrey Carrrasco, 52, of St. Johnsbury pleaded innocent Monday, July 8 in Caledonia County Superior Court to the misdemeanor charge of setting fires.
Firefighters responded to an October 6, 2023 fire in which Carrasco’s pickup truck and a home were on fire. According to police documents, Carrasco said he was trying to pull a VW Beetle out of the garage with the truck to save it from the fire. In fact, surveillance video shows he set fire to a pile of rags, which then spread and engulfed the truck and a residential building on Higgins Street. It is not known if the building was vacant or occupied at the time of the fire, or to whom it belonged.
The Caledonian-Record news report, written by Editor Dana Gray, describes how Carrasco received a public defender from Judge Michael Kainen at no cost to himself due to his non-citizen status for a charge that would not result in a public defender for a U.S. citizen:
“The potential maximum penalty for a conviction of the charge is minimal, and in this particular case, Carrasco would only be fined if convicted. In most fine-only cases, defendants are not given taxpayer-funded public defenders because the consequences of conviction are relatively minor. But in Carrasco’s case, Judge Michael Kainen decided differently because there’s a concern about how the case could impact Carrasco’s legal status to remain in the U.S. At the arraignment, attorney Brandon Sheffert from Davis Legal Solutions served as Carrasco’s attorney, and with the judicial decision Davis Legal is likely to remain as Carrasco’s legal counsel.”
Carrasco owns Carrasco Construction, a St. Johnsbury firm registered with the Vermont Secretary of State last fall. This is not the first interaction between Carrasco and Vermont law enforcement. He and his wife Carrie were arrested and jailed by the Vermont State Police in August, 2021 for having outstanding felony warrants out of Florida, according to a state police statement. Florida documents show he was charged with larceny – grand theft.
Carrasco’s specific status as a non-citizen is not clear, whether he has a ‘green card’ or other non-citizen status. He does appear to have a sizeable Vermont family. July 5 of 2021, game wardens rescued the Carrasco family when their boat went adrift on Lake Dunmore.
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Categories: Crime
Why are so many serious offenses and their perpetrators coddled in VT and elsewhere in this country? While people are accused of “hate crimes” for political incorrectness?
“Equity”
In Alabama and Florida they are Alligator parks parks for tourists. One in Summerdale Al named Gator Alley Farm has some 600 alligators. I met a wild hog trapper that sets out cages to capture the destructive wild hogs, they become instant grub. A criminal problem could be grub, no trace. https://gatoralleyfarm.com/ I Winter about 20 miles from the place. The grub statement is a possible solution to a society problem.
Off subject, a bit of info: Wild hogs are in 38 states and Canada causing billions dollar damage, open season to harvest. A 16 year old guy in Tennessee shot a 1000 LB hog, hardly got in the truck body–search it. Hogs / Pigs don’t stop growing. Warmer climates is expanding their territory. I have seen large groups of them in FL. Videos show them outrunning a galloping horse. The meat is very good. Videos show the butchering and cooking, free meat. A video showed a guy that trapped about 20 hogs. Shot them all and hauled them off to wherever and for what? Vermont will have the wild hogs. Their known descriptions: Wild boar, razorback, feral hog, wild pig—those are just a few of the names for one of the most destructive, formidable invasive species in the United States. Another descriptive specie that has invaded VT
Considering his history….maybe he needs to be deported. I resent that my tax dollars are being spent on a non-citizen when if this case were for an actual citizen, he/she would not receive the same consideration. Really getting tired of the double standard for “non citizens”. Yea, I know…not a politically correct opinion….but you know what…. I can’t afford to care anymore. Americans are being taxed into extinction…and for what?
For illegal migrant votes.
Judge Michael Kainen must go. He is endangering peoples lives by not putting this potentially dangerous (unhinged?) man in jail and throwing away the key.
Let’s see, setting a fire is a” crime ” and he’s an illegal another ” crime ” so it sounds like a career criminal, so why isn’t he sitting in a cell waiting for deportation !!!
“A St. Johnsbury man who is a non-U.S. citizen was given a defense lawyer at public expense specifically because the Vermont Superior Court judge feared an adverse verdict could lead to his deportation.”
How does having a lawyer – pro bono or otherwise – guarantee no adverse verdict? Silly question, but wouldn’t the facts be the determining factor in the outcome of a verdict? Maybe the judge should just declare him innocent without a trial and then he can adopt the whole family and support them too. Sheesh, what an upside down world we are living in!!!
Wouldn’t you think that an adverse verdict SHOULD lead to his deportation? Why should a non citizen, career criminal be allowed to stay? How many laws do you have to break to get deported?
So who is monitoring this judge, the AG?
You are definitely on to something with this story. In fact, it is just scratching the surface of the amount of leniency awarded to non US citizens by Vermont judges to avoid deportation. Chittenden County judges have been pleading down violent crimes committed by REFUGEES and status holders for years- and it’s all right there in the records still. One big FAT example is Leroy Headley who should have been convicted of a number of DV charges and deported before he eventually graduated to homicide. Another is Enrique Baltazar, who is now the poster boy for Migrant Justice- should have been deported after somehow not being convicted of TWO DUIs. There was a machete attacker on Shelburne Rd—- look up what the judge plead that terrorist attack down to. You will lose your mind if you go down this rabbit hole I promise.
And the machete attacker pulled a knife on a security officer at the downtown Burlington City Market a few days ago. I guess it is impossible to deport these malefactors.
You can thank our Legislators for this. They are the ones that made providing public defenders to illegal individuals the law.
now, how long would it take to find out who owns the house//// who pays the property taxes/// most of these stories are not complete for some reason////
He owns a construction company and a boat? Let him pay for his own lawyer…then deport him.
I think it’s time for everyone to be awake and not woke. This state is becoming ridiculous.
The law should take its course. All people in the USA who are accused of a crime are entitled to counsel (public defenders, usually). Citizen or not. This article is an example of xenophobia and I resent it. Most of our ancestors came here from somewhere else. We are better than this.
Many of us resent your assertion of “xenophobia” and casually asserting that our ancestors “came from somewhere else.” Those who came from mostly Europe and are proudly established as our ancestors worked hard to meet the rigid criteria and requirements for citizenship…and that took years. Unlike these freeloading immediate gratification itinerant migrants who have been barnstorming Vermont and our country in recent times. Our ancestors raised their right hands with pride and a sense of patriotism when they took their oaths to pledge their earned citizenship status and to become productive members of society. Unlike these grasping and greedy Corrascos whose history of crimes speak for themselves and yet get free public defenders like everything else they expect as handouts because they are recipients of the Biden Big Teat Program. Yet another slap in the face and an abomination to the real ancestral immigrants who deserve to be here…And yes I for one truly resent GL’s comments…
The Constitution guarantees free legal help for people who are charged with a crime which might lead to imprisonment and who CANNOT AFFORD A LAWYER; NOT because an adverse verdict could lead to his deportation. And in non-criminal or “civil” cases, you do not have the right to a free lawyer.
Deportation isn’t imprisonment, and there is no mention that he is indigent or whether he is a legal immigrant, although based, on the reporting he has resources along with a criminal record.
This is not zenophobia. This is awarding a special privilege that a U.S. citizen would not be granted under existing law. It is about abusing the system and fairness. It was behavior that destroyed property and likely resulted in expenses for others as well as fire fighting expenses for the town. Our ancestors, mine included, came to this country to work hard, build their lives, and contribute to the nation, not burn it down or steal from others.
So, he receives all the benefits for being a non-citizen, while legal and natual-born citizens labor and pay for those benefits and those of his enablers. I think I’ll brush up on the Law of War manual regarding occupied territories and non-combative inhabitants – is Vermont part of the United States currently? (the non-corporate USA?) It does appear and feels like a belligerent occupied territory under the rules of international COG and occupation agreements. They can’t be doing such things under the rules of “written” statutory law? Their actions are running roughshod outside the scope of law as written…which is operating a coup against the People – imo.