Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-07-03773/USCOURTS-ca8-07-03773-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
United States
Appellee
Ronald Gene Weaver
Appellant

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Ronald E. Longstaff, United States District Judge for the

Southern District of Iowa.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 07-3773

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the Southern

* District of Iowa.

Ronald Gene Weaver, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: May 13, 2008 

Filed: July 28, 2008

___________

Before RILEY, BOWMAN, and HANSEN, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Ronald Gene Weaver (Weaver) appeals his conviction, after a jury trial, for

being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C.

§§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e)(1). The district court1

 denied Weaver’s motion for a new

trial. We affirm.

Weaver stipulated to the existence of a previous felony conviction. On appeal,

Weaver contends no reasonable jury could have found him guilty beyond a reasonable

Appellate Case: 07-3773 Page: 1 Date Filed: 07/28/2008 Entry ID: 3455557
-2-

doubt, because the evidence was insufficient to show Weaver possessed a firearm or

ammunition as the government alleged. “In reviewing [Weaver’s] challenge to the

sufficiency of the evidence, we consider the record in the light most favorable to the

verdict.” United States v Tipton, 518 F.3d 591, 594 (8th Cir. 2008). “We inquire

whether a jury reasonably could find proof beyond a reasonable doubt of the charged

offenses.” Id. (citation omitted). 

Weaver claims no reasonable jury could find he possessed a firearm. Officer

Kelly Evans testified he saw a thin black male wearing a white T-shirt fire a weapon.

Officer Wade Wojewoda affirmed he “clearly observed the shooter get directly into

[a Dodge] Durango and drive off.” The police pursued the Durango at speeds over

100 miles-per-hour, never losing sight of the vehicle. After stopping the Durango,

police found Weaver was the driver. Weaver is a thin black male and was wearing a

white T-shirt when apprehended. Police did not discover a firearm on Weaver or in

the Durango. We still conclude a reasonable jury could find Weaver was the person

who fired the weapon and, thus, possessed the firearm. See United States v. Wells,

721 F.2d 1160, 1162 (8th Cir. 1983) (explaining, even if there are “other inferences

that can be drawn from the evidence, [] we do not substitute our judgment for that of

the jury . . . .” (citation omitted)).

Weaver also contends no reasonable jury could find he possessed the

ammunition found in the Durango. Weaver’s girlfriend, Shirell Smith (Smith), owned

the Durango. Smith testified Weaver used the Durango and possessed his own set of

keys for the vehicle. Smith further testified she owned no guns or ammunition and

never had guns or ammunition in the Durango. Weaver was driving and was alone in

the Durango when apprehended. This evidence, combined with the evidence Weaver

had discharged a firearm before fleeing in the Durango, was sufficient for a reasonable

jury to determine Weaver constructively possessed the ammunition. See United States

v. Maloney, 466 F.3d 663, 666-67 (8th Cir. 2006) (explaining the requirements for

finding constructive possession). 

The judgment of the district court is affirmed.

______________________________________

Appellate Case: 07-3773 Page: 2 Date Filed: 07/28/2008 Entry ID: 3455557