# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 2- 19 12

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.
Edg ar Keat on Mart in

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s - Li tt le Ro ck

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Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 12 , 20 12 Fil ed : No ve m

be r 26 , 20 12 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ _ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , W OLLMAN and MELLOY, Circu it Ju dg es

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PER CURI AM.

Edg ar Keat on Mar ti n ap pe al s hi s co nv ic ti on fo r be in g a fel on in po ss es si on of

a fir earm in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 92 2( g) (1 ). Mar ti n arg ue s th at th e ev id en ce wasin su ffi ci en t to su pp or t th e co nv ic ti on an d th at th e di st ric t co ur t erre d by in st ru ct in g 1
th e jury on co ns tru ct iv e p os se ss io n. We affi rm

.

I.

In May 20 08
, Ja na Pi nk st on , Mar ti n’s pr ob at io n of fic er, rece iv ed a rep or t th at Mar ti n ha d weap on s on h i s p r op ert y

. Dur in g a ho m e vi si t an d se arch of Mar ti n’s ho m e, Pi nk st on an d se ve ral la w en fo rcem en t of fic ers fro m th e Van Bu ren Co un ty Sh eri ff’s Offi ce lo cat ed am m un it io n in Mar ti n’s ki tc he n an d in a do wns ta irs ai r ve nt ,
m ul ti pl e rif le s an d a ha nd gu n in an up st ai rs ai r ve nt , an d m ul ti pl e rif le s an d a sh ot gu n in a hi dd en co m

pa rtment un de rn ea t h t h e st ai rwel l. The of fic ers al so lo cat ed a ha nd writ te n no te th at , in ad di ti on to de sc rib in g se ve ral of th e gu ns fo un d wit hi n th e ho us e, co nt ai ne d a de sc rip ti on of a m in i 1 4 ri fle

.

Afte r le arn in g th at th e of

fic ers ha d fo un d th e weap on s in th e up st ai rs ai r ve nt , M a r t i n t o l d t he of

fic er who sa t wit h hi m du rin g th e se arch th at “ th ey fo un d th em .”
W he n th e of

fic er as ke d M art in whet he r th ey wou ld fin d an y th in g in th e do wns ta irs ai r ve n t , M a r t i n in di cat ed th at th ey wou ld fin d weap on s an d am m un it io n, ad di ng ,

“ W ha t ca n I s ay ? I li ke gu ns .”

At tri al
, th e jury he ard te st im on y fro m Mi ck ey Rat cl iff an d Ri ch ard Nor woo d,
Mar ti n’s ne ig hb or s. Rat cl iff te st ifi ed th a t in Apr il 20 08
, whi le on th e ro ad ne ar Mar ti n’s ho us e, Rat cl iff sa w Mar ti n wit h a rif le in hi s han d. Nor woo d tes ti fie d th at Mar ti n’s n ep he w had tak en cert ai n wea po ns fro m Mart in ’s un cl e an d b ro ug ht th em
to Mar ti n’s ho us e. N o r w o o d te st ifi ed fu rth er th at he ha d warn ed Mar ti n ag ai ns t ha vi ng th e weap on s at hi s ho us e an d th at Mar ti n’s res po ns e was th at hi s ne ph ew “ was bo red an d was us in g t he m .”

The Hon or ab le J. Leo n Hol m es , th en Ch ie f Ju dg e, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t 1 fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s.

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-Th e ju ry al so he ard te st im on y fro m Sh an no n App le ga te , Mar ti n’s fo rm e r

gi rlf rie nd

. App le ga te te st ifi ed th at in Apr il 20 08 sh e rece iv ed a pa ck ag e fro m Mar ti n

co nt ai ni ng , am on g ot he r th in gs , a pi st ol an d a m in i 14 rif le wit h a si lv er fo ld in g st oc k th at App le ga te reco gn iz ed fro m li vi ng wit h Mar ti n. App le ga te te st ifi ed th at th e m in i
14 rif le in th e pa ck ag e ha d th e sa m e ch arac te ris ti cs as t he m in i 1 4 ri fle de sc rib ed in th e h an dwr it te n n ot e ta ke n fr om Mart in ’s ho us e.

Mar ti n ob jecte d to th e di st ric t co ur t’s in cl us io n of th e co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on
po rti on of In st ru ct io n No. 10
, whi ch mi r r o r e d Eig ht h Ci rcu it Mo de l Cri m in al Ju ry In st ru ct io n 8 .02 , and pro vi de d:

The la w reco gn iz es se ve ral ki nd s of po ss es si on

. A pe rs on m ay ha ve act ua l po ss es si on or co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on . A p ers on m ay ha ve so le

or joi nt po ss es si on

.

A pe rs on who k n o w i ng ly ha s di rect ph y si cal co nt ro l ov er a th in g, at a gi ve n t im e, is th en in act ua l p os se ss io n o f it

.

A pe rs on who
, al th ou gh no t in act ua l po ss es si on , ha s bo th th e po wer an d th e in te nt io n at a gi ve n ti m e t o e x e rci se do m in io n or co nt ro l ov er a th in g, ei th er di rect ly or th ro ug h an ot h er pe rs on or pe rs on s, is th en in

co ns tru ct iv e p os se ss io n o f it

.

If on e p ers on al on e ha s act ua l or co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on of a th in g, po ss es si on is so le

. If two or m or e pe rs on s s ha re ac tu al or c on st ru ct iv e po ss es si on of a th in g, p os se ss io n i s jo in t.

W he ne ve r th e wor d “ po ss es si on ” ha s bee n us ed in th es e in st ru ct io ns it in cl ud es act ua l as well as co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on an d al so so le as well

as joi nt po ss es si on

.

Mar ti n arg u e d th at co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on was no t an is su e in th e cas e an d th at in cl ud in g it in th e in st ru ct io n wou ld co nf us e th e jury. The di st ric t co ur t ov erru le d th e ob jecti on an d g av e th e in st ru ct io n.

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-II.

Mar ti n arg ue s th at th e ev id en ce was i n su ffi ci en t to su pp or t a fin di ng th at he kn owi ng ly po ss es se d a fir earm

. “ W e co ns i d e r c h al le ng es to th e su ffi ci en cy of th e

ev id en ce to su pp or t a co nv ic ti on de no vo bu t co ns id er th e ev id en ce pr es en te d in th e li gh t m os t fav or ab le to th e go ve rn m en t, res ol vi ng co nf li ct s in th e go ve rn m en t’s fav or ,
an d acce pt in g al l reas on ab le in fere nc es th at su pp or t th e ve rd ic t.” U n i t e d St at es v. Man n, 68 5 F.3 d 71 4, 72 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s an d ci ta ti on s

om it t ed ). W e rev ers e “ on ly if no reas on ab le jury co ul d ha ve fo un d gu il t be y on d a

reas on ab le do ub t.” Un it ed Sta te s v . Herb st , 66 6 F .3d 50 4, 5 10 (8t h C ir. 2 01 2)

.

To co nv ic t Mar ti n un de r § 92 2( g) (1 ), th e go ve rn m en t w a s r eq ui red to pr ov e be y on d a reas on ab le do ub t (1 ) th at Mar ti n ha d pr ev io us ly be en co nv ic te d of a cri m e
pu ni sh ab le by a te rm of im pr is on m en t ex ceed in g on e y ear; (2 ) th at Mar ti n kn owi ng ly

po ss es se d a fir earm ; an d ( 3 ) t ha t th e fir earm ha d be en in or affe ct ed in te rs ta te

co m m erce

. Uni te d St at es v. Tuc ke r, 6 8 9 F .3d 91 4, 91 8 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ). The on ly el em en t i n d is pu te is whet he r Mar ti n k no win gl y po ss es se d a fir earm

.

Bas ed up on th e su m

m ary of th e ev id en ce reco un te d ab ov e, we co nc lu de th at th e ev id en ce was su ffi ci en t to su pp or t th e jury’ s fin di n g t ha t Mar ti n kn owi ng ly

po ss es se d a fir earm

.

III.

Mar ti n arg ue s th at th e di st ric t co ur t erre d by gi vi ng th e co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on
po rti on of I ns tru ct io n No . 10 be cau se th ere was no ev id en ce to su pp or t th at po rti on of th e in st ru ct io n. “ W e rev i e w t h e in cl us io n of a jury in st ru ct io n fo r an ab us e of di sc ret io n, an d, to de te rm in e whe th er ev id en ce is su ffi ci en t to jus ti fy an in st ru ct io n,

we rev ie w th e ev id en ce an d an y reas on ab le in fere nc e fro m th at ev id en ce in th e li gh t

m os t fa vo rab le to th e go ve rn m en t.” Uni te d Stat es v. Reav es , 64 9 F.3d 86 2, 86 7- 68

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-(8 th Ci r. 20 11 ) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s an d ci ta ti on s om it te d)

. Und er th is st an da rd
,

the ev idence in th e reco rd was su ffi ci en t to su bm it th e co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on po rti on of Ins tru ct io n No . 10 to th e jury.

Mar ti n arg ue s al so th at th e co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on po rti on of In st ru ct io n No. 10 m is st at ed th e la w. Bec au se Mar ti n di d no t rai se th is arg um en t be lo w, we rev ie w fo r pl ai n er r o r

. See Uni te d St at es v. Ru sh -Ri ch ard so n, 57 4 F.3 d 90 6, 91 0 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ). Rel y in g on Uni te d S t a t e s v

. Doo le y , 58 0 F.3 d 68 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ), Mar ti n

co nt en ds th at th e co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on po rti on of In st ru ct io n No. 10 pe rm it te d th e ju r y to co nv ic t hi m of co ns tru ct iv el y po ss es si ng a fir earm wit ho ut hi s ha vi ng kn owl ed ge th at a fir earm was in hi s ho us e. In Doo le y , th e di st ric t c o u r t mo d i f ie d Eig ht h Ci rcu it Mo de l Cri m in al Ju ry In st ru ct io n 8. 02 to pr ov id e th at th e de fen da nt was in co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on of a fir earm by vi rtu e of be in g in co nt ro l of th e ve hi cl e in whi ch th e fir earm was fo un d. Id

. at 68 6. In st ru ct io n No

. 1 0 c o n t a i n e d no su ch

m od ifi cat io n, and th e jury in st ru ct io ns as a who le ad eq ua te ly in fo rm ed th e jury th at Mar ti n ha d to kn ow th at th e fir earms w e r e i n hi s ho us e to co ns tru ct iv el y po ss es s th em

. Acco rd in gl y , th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t pl ai nl y err by gi vi ng In st ru ct io n No. 10

. See Uni te d St at es v. Hop ki ns , 42 8 F. App ’x 65 8, 66 0 (8 th C i r. 20 11 ) (p er cu ria m ) (d is tri ct co ur t di d no t pl ai nl y err by gi vi ng Eig ht h Ci rcu it Mo de l C r i mi n a l J ur y In st ru ct io n 8.0 2 whe n jury in st ru ct io ns as a who l e a de qu at el y in fo rm ed jury of th e

ne ces si ty o f f

i nd in g th at th e de fen da nt kn owi ng ly po ss es se d am m un it io n)

. In an y

ev en t, Mar ti n’s s t a t e men t to th e of fic ers th at th ey wou ld fin d weap on s an d

am m un it io n in th e ve nt in th e do wns ta irs area , co up le d wit h hi s st at em en t, “ W ha t can I sa y ? I li ke gu ns ,” ren de red ha rm le ss an y al le ge d de fic ie nc y in In st ru ct io n No. 10

.

IV.

The jud gm en t i s af

fir m ed

.

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