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Parties Involved:
United States of America
Appellee
Zachary Marshall Ziba
Appellant

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-10873

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 Plaintiff - Appellee

v.

ZACHARY MARSHALL ZIBA, 

 Defendant - Appellant

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Northern District of Texas

USDC No. 2:15-CR-9-1

Before REAVLEY, HAYNES, and HIGGINSON, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

The judgment of the district court is affirmed, supported clearly by the 

law and evidence.

Defendant Zachary Ziba caused the Southwest flight from Denver to 

Dallas to divert and land at Amarillo. He refused to stay in his seat and obey 

the instructions of the veteran flight attendant. He was belligerent, shouting 

loudly with obscenity, and said people would be sorry and what the attendant 

 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

June 8, 2016

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 15-10873 Document: 00513539837 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/08/2016
No. 15-10873

2

reasonably understood to be threats to the safety of the aircraft and 

passengers.

Defendant was charged with the crime of intimidating a flight attendant 

to interfere with the performance of the attendant’s duties. 49 U.S.C.A. 

§ 46504. A jury found him guilty.

Defendant’s defense is that he did not knowingly interfere or intend to 

threaten. He argues that he was not guilty of either general or specific intent. 

He relies on Elonis v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2001 (2015) where the Court 

required specific intent to transmit in interstate commerce “any 

communication containing any threat ... to injure the person of another.” The 

mental state required there is not in the crime here. The Fifth Circuit has held 

that Art. 46504 is a crime of general intent where conduct can prove guilt.

United States v. Hicks, 980 F.2d 963 (5th Cir. 1992). This defendant was well 

aware of his conduct and talk, interfering with the crews and attendants and 

requiring the flight to be diverted.

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 15-10873 Document: 00513539837 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/08/2016