FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT M ar c h 28, 2008 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

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________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 06 -000 95 -C R -4 U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s D E M O N D R . M I L L S , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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_________________________ ( M ar c h 28, 2008) B efo re A N D E R S O N , C A RN E S an d H U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: T hi s i s D e m ond M i l l s ’ appe a l of hi s c onvi c t i on a nd s e nt e nc e f orpos s e s s i on2

w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e 500 orm or e gr a m s of pow de rc oc a i ne , i n vi ol a t i on of 21 U . S . C . § 8 41 (a )( 1). I. O n F ebruary8, 20 06 , K evi n R ob i nson and D em on d M i l l s w er e dri vi ng on I95 w hen S heri ff’ s D eputy M ark C row e i ni t i at ed a tra ff i c s t op . R ob i nson , w ho w as dri vi ng , pu l l ed ov ert o the si de of the road. W hi l e gi vi ng R ob i nson a t i cketfor a m in o rtr a f

f ic v io la tio n , C r o w e b e c a m e s u s p ic io u s th a t th e c a rm ig h t c o n ta in d ru g s . A l tho ug h R ob i nson re fuse d t o con se ntt o a se ar ch of the car, C row e c al l ed for a cani ne un i t . T he drug do g and i t s handl erhapp ened t o b e nearby, and they arr i ved b e f o r e C r o we h a d f

i n i s h e d g i v i n g R o b i n s o n awarn i n g c i t a t i o n . T h e d o g s a td o wn bythe c a r ’ s r e a rpa s s e nge rdoor , i t s s i gna l tha ti tha d s c e nt e d drugs the r e . U pon search i n g th e car, th e h an d l er fo u n d a p ack ag e co n t ai n i n g ap p ro x i m at el y a ki l og ra m of cocai ne. M ills a n d R o b in s o n w e r e a rr e s te d a n d ta k e n to th e B ry a n C o u n tyja il. B o th sig n ed M iran d a w aiv er s a n d g av e s tatem en ts to D etec ti v e G ary P ro v o st. M il l’ s s t a t e m e ntr e c ount e d hi s ve r s i on of how he c a m e t o be i n the c a rw i th R obi ns on a nd th e c o c a in e . M ills m a d e th e f o llo w in g c la im s : A w o m a n n a m e d “F lu f f ” a s k e d h im t o g etri d o f hercar s o thatshe c ou l d cl ai m i thad b ee n st ol en t o h eri nsurance com pany. B ef

ore he and R ob i nson l ef tF l ori da, F l uff a sked M i l l s t o t ake the re ar3

p a s s e n g e rd o o rp a n e l o f f s o th a t s h e c o u ld g e t s o m e th in g in s id e . F lu f f to o ko u t a pa c ka ge of

c oc a i ne , dr ove a w a yi n the c a r , a nd the n r e turne d w i th the c a ra n hour l at er . T hen M i l l s and R ob i nson t oo k the car and st art ed t o d ri ve t o D el aw ar e, w h e r e M ills liv e d . T h e yw e r e o n th e irw a yth e r e w h e n th e yw e r e a rr e s te d . R o b i n so n ’ s st at em en treco u n t ed b asi cal l y th e sam e fact s. A f e de r a l gr a nd j uryi ndi c t e d M i l l s a nd R obi ns on e a c h w i th one c ountof p o s s e s s io n w ith in te n t to d is tr ib u te 5 0 0 o rm o r e g r a m s o f p o w d e rc o c a in e , in vi ol at i on of 21 U . S . C . § 8 41 (a )( 1). M i l l s pl ea ded n otgu i l ty. R ob i nson pl ea ded g u iltyto ale s s e rin c lu d e d c h a r g e a n d a g r e e d to te s tif ya g a in s t M ills . A ttr i a l , the gove rnm e ntc a l l e d D e putyC r ow e a nd D e t e c t i ve P r ovos t , w ho te s tif ie d to th e f

a c ts r e c o u n te d ab o v e . T h e g o v e rn m e n t a ls o c a lle d af o r e n s ic c he m i s tf r om the G e or gi aB ur e au of I nve s t i ga t i on, w ho t e s t i f i e d tha tthe pa c ka ge fo u n d i n th e car w i th M i l l s co n t ai n ed 1 0 3 1 . 1 g ram s o f p o w d er co cai n e. A s i t s l ast w itn e s s , th e g o v e rn m e n t c a lle d R o b in s o n . R obi ns on a dm i tt e d tha the ha d be e n a ddi c t e d t o c oc a i ne a nd m a r i j ua naf or fi ft ee n years , thathe had sol d cocai ne, and thathe ho ped t o rec ei ve a l es se r sen t en ce i n ex ch an g e fo r t est i fyi n g . R o b i n so n fu rth er t est i fi ed th ati tw as M i l l s’ p la n to b u yc o c a in e a n d ta k e it to D e la w a r e to s e ll it a n d th a t h e h a d s e e n M ills w i th the cocai ne before they s t art ed dri vi ng . O n cross -e xam i nat i on , M i l l s’ att orney4

e m p h a s iz e d s o m e d is c r e p a n c ie s b e tw e e n R o b in s o n ’s te s tim o n ya t tr ia l a n d h is st at em entt o D et ec t i ve P rovo st , such as w here he saw M i l l s w i th the cocai ne before th e y b e g a n th e irtr ip . F ol l ow i ng the gove rnm e nt ’ s c a s e - i n- c hi e f , M i l l s c a l l e d S pe c i a l A ge nt S t ephen T i nsl eyof the D rug E nforcement A gency. M i l l s’ att orney a sked T i nsl ey abou thi s i nt ervi ew of R ob i nson i n ant i ci pat i on of R ob i nson t es t i fy i ng , w hi ch c o n ta in e d s ta te m e n ts th a t a r g u ab lyc o n f lic te d w ith R o b in s o n ’s te s tim o n ya t tr ia l. T in s le yd e n ie d th a t th e r e w a s a n y c o n tr a d ic tio n b e tw e e n th e tw o . F in a lly , M ills t e s t i f i e d on hi s ow n be ha l f

. H e r e c ount e d the ve r s i on of e ve nt s i n the s t a t e m e nthe had g i ven t o D et ec t i ve P rovo stand st at ed thathe di d n otkn ow thatthere w er e d ru g s in th e c a r . H e a ls o s ta te d th a t h e h a d n e v e rb e e n c o n v ic te d o f ad ru g c r im e . A ft ert es t i fy i ng , M i l l s r es t ed hi s c as e. F ol l ow i ng c l os i ng a r gum e nt s , the j uryf ound M i l l s gui l tyof

the s ol e c ountof the i ndi c tm e nt . M i l l s now appe a l s hi s c onvi c t i on. II. M i l l s c ont e nds tha tthe r e w a s i ns uf f i c i e nte vi de nc e t o c onvi c thi m of p o s s e s s io n w ith in te n t to d is tr ib u te 5 0 0 o rm o r e g r a m s o f p o w d e rc o c a in e . W e r e vi e w de novo the s uf

f i c i e nc yof

the e vi de nc e s upport i ng ac r i m i na l c onvi c t i on, butw e e xa m i ne the e vi de nc e i n the l i ghtm os tf a vor abl e t o the gove rnm e nta nd5

m ake a l l i nfer ence s and cr edi bi l i ty c ho i ce s i n favor of the j ury’ s ver di ct . U ni t ed S t a t e s v. A nde r s on, 289 F . 3d 1321, 1325 ( 11th C i r . 2002) . T o c onvi c tade f e nda nt of po ss es si on w i th i nt entt o d i stri bu t e, the go vernm entm ustprov e thathe had kn ow i ng po ss es si on of a c on trol l ed subst ance w i th i nt entt o d i stri bu t e i t . U ni t ed S ta te s v . T h o m p s o n , 4 7 3 F .3 d 1 1 3 7 , 1 1 4 2 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) . M ills a r g u e s th a t n o r e a s o n ab le ju ryc o u ld h a v e f o u n d b e y o n d ar e a s o n ab le doubttha the w a s gui l tybe c aus e the onl ye vi de nc e tha the kne w the r e w e r e drugs i n the car c am e f

rom R ob i nson , w ho w as no tcr edi bl e. M i l l s poi nt s outthat R ob i nson adm i tt ed t o b ei ng conv i ct ed of other f el on y drug o ff

ense s, t o b ei ng an a ddi c t , a nd t o t e s t i f

y i ng i n the hope of

r e c e i vi ng al ow e rs e nt e nc e . M i l l s , by c ontr a s t , ha d ne ve rbe e n c onvi c t e d of adrug c r i m e a nd t e s t i f

i e d tha the di d not kn ow the drug s w er e i n the car. M i l l s ’ a r gum e nti s tha the w a s am or e c r e di bl e w i tne s s tha n R obi ns on, but thati s e xact l y the type of c re di bi l i ty det erm i nat i on w e l ea ve t o the j ury. S ee A nd er son, 28 9 F . 3d at13 25 . If the j ury bel i eved R ob i nson w hen h e t es t i fi ed that M i l l s kne w the r e w e r e drugs i n the c a r , a s appa r e nt l yi tdi d, the r e w a s s uf f i c i e nt e v id e n c e to c o n v ic t. F u rth e r , w h e n ad e f e n d a n t te s tif

ie s th e ju ryis e n title d to be l i e ve the oppos i t e of

hi s s t a t e m e nt s de ny i ng c ul pabi l i ty . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. V a z que z , 53 F . 3d 1216, 1226 ( 11th C i r . 1995) . M i l l s t e s t i f i e d tha the di d notknow6

th a t th e r e w e r e d ru g s in th e c a r , a n d th e ju ryw a s f r e e to in f e rth a t h e w a s ly in g . W e c o n c lu d e th a t th e r e w a s s u f f ic ie n t e v id e n c e f

o rar e a s o n ab le ju ryto f in d M ills g u iltyb e y o n d ar e a s o n ab le d o u b t. AF F I RME D.