Pursuant to 5 th Cir. R . 47 .5, the court has determined that this op in io n s hould not * be publishe d and is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forthin5th Cir. R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 50400 Su m m ar yC al endar
UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA, P l ai n t i f f

- A pp el l ee,

v. N IC H O L A S M O L IN A , D efen d a n t- A p p ell a n t.

A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or t h e W est ern D i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 7: 08- C R

- 217- 1
B e fo r e J O L L Y , W IE N E R , a n dE L R O D , C ir c u it J u d g e s . P E R C U R I A M: * N i chol as M ol i n a ap pea l s hi s c on vi ct i on af t er a j u ry tri alof

possess i on of
a f i r e ar m i n f

ur t he r anc e o f

a d r ug t r af

f i c ki ng c r i m e , na m e l y, m anufac t ur i ng m ar ij u ana , i n v i o l at i o n o f 1 8 U
. S. C. § 9 24 (c ) ( 1) (A)
. M o l i na ar gue s t hatt he G o ve r nm e ntfai l e d t o pr o vehe po s s e s s e d t he f i r e ar m i n f

ur t he r anc e o f

t he dr ug cri m e.B ecau se M ol i n a preserved h i s ch al l en ge t o the suff i ci en cy of t h e evi den ce, w e re v ie w th e s u ffic ie n c yo f th e e v id e n c e d e n o v o . S ee Un itedS ta tes v. Mitch ell , United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D Janua ry 27, 2010 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I Clerk Case: 09-50400 Document: 00511013966 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/27/2010N o. 09- 50400

2 484 F
. 3d 762 , 768 ( 5th C i r. 200 7)
. W e vi ew t h e evid e n ce in th e l i gh tm ost fav o r ab l e t o t he ve r di c t t o de t e r m i ne w he t he r a r at i o nal j ur y c o ul d ha ve f o und M o lin a g u ilty b e y o n da re a s o n a b le d o u b t. Se ei d. I n wei ghi ng t he e vi de nc e , t he j u rors m ay properl y “ u se t h ei r com m on sense” an d “ evaluate t h e fact s i n l i gh tof th e irk n o w le d g e o f th e n a tu r a l te n d e n c i e s a n din c lin a tio n s o f h u m a n b e in g s .” Un itedS ta tes v. Ay a la , 8 87 F. 2d62, 67 ( 5t h C i r . 198 9) (i nt e r nalq uo t at i o n m ar ks
a n dcit a tio n o m itt e d ). M ol i n a contend s t h ere w as i n suff ic i en tevi den ce t h at t h e f i rearm served to fu r th e rm a r iju a n a m a n u fa c tu r in gb e c a u s e its lo c a tio n n e x t t o h is b e dis
c o ns i s t e nt w i t h po s s e s s i o n f o r pe r s o nal pr o t e c t i o n. M o l i na al s o c o nt e nds t hathe gr e w t he pl ant s f

o rpe r s o nalc o ns um pt i o n a nd t hus ha d no need t o p ro t e c tt he p la n ts
. H e to ld o ffic e r s th a t h e p o s s e s s e dth e p is to l fo r“p r o te c tio n fr o m ro b b e r s .” W e ha ve setf

ort h a n o n -ex h au st ive l i stfact ors t o deter m i n e w h et h er possessi on f

u rt h ers, adv an ces, or h el ps f orw ard a d rug traf

f i cki n g of

fen se, w h i ch in c lu d e s : t he t yp e o f

dr ug ac t ivi t y t hati s b e i ng c o nduc t e d, ac c e s s ibi l i t y o f t he f i r e ar m , t he t yp e o f

t he w e ap o n, w he t he rt he w e ap o n i s s t o l e n, t he s t a tu s o f th e p o s s e s s io n (le g itim a te o rille g a l), w h e th e rth e g u n is l o ad e d, pr o xi m i t y t o dr ugs o rdr ug pr o f i t s , a nd t he t i m e a nd c ir c u m s ta n c e s u n d e rw h ic h th e g u n is fo u n d
. Un itedS ta tesv. Ceballos- T orre s , 2 1 8 F .3 d4 0 9 , 4 1 4 -1 5 (5 th C ir .), a m en d edin pa rt , 226 F
. 3d 651 ( 5th C i r. 200 0)
. Th e pi st olw as l ocat ed n ext t o t h e bed w h ere M o lin a s le p t a lo n gw ith a lo a d e dm a g a z in e a n da h o ls te r , w h ic h w e r e a ll re a d ily
ac c e s s ibl e a nd i n pl ai n vi e w . The pi s t o l w as i n t he s am e t r ai l e r as s e ve r alo f t he
m arij u an a plants. Th e of f i cers di scovered bagg ed m arij u an a an d $46 0 i n cash
ne xtt o t he pi s t o l
. I n a ddi t i o n, t he o f f i c e r s f o und a s t un g un a nd as ho t guni ns i de a safe i n t h e bedroom cl osetan d an ot h er f i rearm i n t h e ki t chen
. Th e presence of t h e ot h er w eap on s sug gest s t h at M ol i n a possessed t h e pi st ol as pa rt of a l arger cache of

w eap o n s for t h e pu rpose of prot ect i n g t h e pl an t s. Th e of f i cers al so Case: 09-50400 Document: 00511013966 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/27/2010N o. 09- 50400

3 di scovered a bu l l etproof vesti n si de t h e cl oset , w h i ch provides f u rt h er evi den ce th a t t h e p is to l w a s o n e o f th e m e a n s M o lin a u s e dto p r o te c t t h e p la n ts
. The j ur y w as f

r e e t o c ho o s e a m o ng anyr e as o nab l e c o n st ruct i o n o f t he
e v id e n c e , Un i t ed S t ate s v . C l ark , 5 7 7 F .3 d2 7 3 , 2 8 4 (5 th C ir .), cer tden i ed78 U
. S
. L
. W
. 334 0 (U
. S
. D ec. 7, 200 9) ( N o. 09-7224 ) , an d t h e f oreg o in gev i den ce f o r m s a suf

f i c i e ntbas i s fo ra ra t i o nalj ur o rt o co nc l ude t hatM o l i na po s s e s s e d t he pi st olt o prot ectt h e pl an t s and t h u s posses sed t h e pi st oli n f u rt h eran ce of
m a r iju a n a m a n u fa c tu r in g . S ee Ceballos- T orre s , 218 F. 3d at415. T h e d i s t r i c tc o u r t ’ s j u d g me n ti s A F F I RMED. Case: 09-50400 Document: 00511013966 Page: 3 Date Filed: 01/27/2010