2005 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 3-17-2005 

# U SA v . Gr a s s P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ocke t N o . 02-2994

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou gh t t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. It h as be e n a c c e pt e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c on t a ct Be n j amin . C a rl s on@l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion
" U SA v . Gr as s " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1447. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/1447NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL

U N IT E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A L S F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

N o. 02- 2994 UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA

v. N I CH O LA S G RA SS a /k /a N I CK Y G RA SSO N i cho l as G ras s, A ppel l ant O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C r i m . N o. 00- cr - 00120- 1) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H on. E duar do C . R obr eno Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a) M ar ch 8, 2004

D eci ded M ar ch 30, 2004 O n R em and from t he S up rem e C ou rtof the U nit ed S t at es

J anuary24, 2005 B efor e: SL O V I T E R , N Y G A A R D , C i r cui tJ udges and O B E R D O R FE R , D i s t r i ctJ udge *

* H on. L oui s F. O ber dor fer , U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tfort he D i s t r i ctof C ol um bi a, s i t t i ng bydes i gnat i on.2 ( Fi l ed: M ar ch 17, 2005)

OP I NI ON SL O V I T E R , C i r cui tJ udge. T h is m a tter is b e f

o re u s o n re m a n d b yth e U n ited S tate s S u p re m e C o u rt. T h is
cour t , byopi ni on fi l ed M ar ch 30, 2004, aff i r m ed the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s j udgm entof convi ct i on and s ent ence . O n J anuary24, 2005, t he Supr eme C our tgr ant ed the mot i on of Pet i t i onerN i chol as G r as s a/ k/ a N i ckyG r as s o forl eave t o pr ocee d i n for m a paupe r i s , and g ra n ted h is p e tit io n f

o r w rit o f

c e rtio ra ri. T h e C o u rt v a c a ted th e ju d g m e n t o f th is c o u rt and r emanded t he ca s e t o t hi s cour tforfur t hercons i der at i on i n l i ghtof B ookerv. U ni t ed St at es , 125 S. C t . 738, 543 U . S. ( 2005) . C ouns el forA ppel l ant , pur s uantt o t he
o p p o rtu n itya f

f o rd e d b yth is c o u rt, h a s re q u e ste d th a t w e re m a n d th e m a tter to th e D istric t C our tforr es ent enci ng. U p o n f u rth e r c o n sid e ra tio n a s d ire c ted b yth e S u p re m e C o u rt, w e re a f f irm a ll por t i ons of ourpr i ordeci s i on w i t h r es pectt o t he convi ct i on, i ncl udi ng ourconcl us i ons th a t th e re w a s s u f

f icie n t ev id e n c e to su p p o rt G ra ss ’ c o n v ictio n f o r c o n sp ira c yto d istrib u te m ethamphet ami ne, t hatG r as s w as notdepr i ved of hi s Si xt h A m endment r i ghtt o couns el
w hen the D i s t r i ctC our tdi s qual i fi ed hi s chos en att or ney , and thatG r as s w as not pr ej udi ced byt he mi s t aken de l i veryof a dr aftcopyof t he j ur y ’ s i ns t ruct i ons dur i ng del i ber at i ons . O n t he otherhand, w e w i l l vaca t e thatpor t i on of ourj udgm entt hataff

i r m ed the j udgm entof s ent ence and r emand t o t he D i s t r i ctC our tforr econs i der at i on and, i f t hatcour tdeems i tappr opr i at e, forr es ent enci ng i n l i ghtof B ookerv. U ni t ed S tat es, 12 5 S . C t. 7 3 8 , 5 4 3 U . S . (20 0 5 ).

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