# 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 4- 10 94

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 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.

Ro nn ie Fir e Cl ou d, al so kn own as R on al d F ire Clo ud

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 Dis tri ct of S ou th Dako ta - Abe rd een

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Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 10 , 20 14 Fil ed : M arch 13 , 20 15

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re MUR PHY, MELLOY, an d B ENTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ MELLOY, Circu it Ju dg e.

A gr an d jury in di ct ed Ro nn ie Fi re Cl ou d fo r ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e by fo rce

an d at te m pt ed ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e un de r 18 Uni te d St at es Co de se ct io n 22 41 (a).
At hi s tri al
, Fi re Cl ou d req ue st ed th e di st ric t co ur t in st ru ct th e jury reg ard in g a le ss er- 1

The Hon or ab le Ch arl es B. Korn m an n, Un it ed Sta te s Di st ric t J ud ge for th e 1 Dis tri ct of S ou th Dako ta

.in cl ud ed of

fen se , ab us iv e se xu al co nt act , wit h res pe ct to Co un t I, th e ch arg e fo r
ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e by fo rce. See 18 U.S.C. § 22 44 (a)( 1)

. On Co un t I, th e jury fo un d Fi re Cl ou d gu il ty of th e le ss er-i nc lu de d of fen se of ab us iv e se xu al co nt act

. On
Co un t II, th e jury fo un d hi m gu il ty of at te m pt ed ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e. Fi re Cl ou d

ap pe al s, cl ai m in g th at th ere was in su ffi ci en t ev id en ce of "fo rce" to su pp o r t t h e

co nv ic ti on s. Bec au se th e ev id en ce ta ke n in th e li gh t m os t fav or ab le to th e ve rd ic t an d

reas on ab le in fere nc es dr awn fro m th at ev id en ce de m on st rat e th at a re a s o n a b l e jury

co ul d h av e fo un d F ire Clo ud gu il ty for b ot h o ffen se s, we af fir m

.

I.

At Fi re Cl ou d's tri al
, wit ne ss es de sc rib ed th e fo ll ow i n g e v e nt s. A wom an

wan te d to sp en d ti m e wit h he r bo y fri en d a few da y s b e f o r e h er bi rth da y , so on Nov em be r 1, 20 10
, sh e m et hi m in McLau g h l i n , S o ut h Dak ot a, a to wn wit hi n th e St an di ng Ro ck In di an Res erv at io n. The wom an 's bo y fri en d w a s fri en ds wit h App el la nt Ro nn ie Fi re Cl ou d. The wom an ha d ne ve r m et Fi re Cl ou d be fo re, bu t sh e

acco m pa ni ed he r bo y fri en d t o Fire Cl ou d's ho m e. Afte r a ni gh t of dri nk in g alco ho l

an d so ci al iz in g at Fi re Cl ou d's ho us e an d at a lo cal b a r , t h e co up le wen t to sl eep in

on e o f Fi re Cl ou d's sp are b ed ro om s s om et im e aro un d 4 :0 0 i n t he m or ni ng

.

The co up le wok e up aro un d 8: 00 or 9: 00 a.m

. B e c a u s e th e wom an su ffer ed fro m di ab et es an d ha d lo w b lo od su ga r, he r bo y fri en d le ft Fi re Cl ou d's ho m e to ge t he r f o o d

. Th e wom an as ke d Fi re Cl ou d if sh e co ul d us e hi s sh owe r. Fi re Cl ou d

co ns en te d. The wom an en te red th e ba th ro om , lo ck ed th e do or , an d be ga n sh owe rin g.

So on Fi re Cl ou d en te red th e ba th ro om ; he was nu de

. W hi le th e wom an was in th e sh owe r, he sn uc k up on th e wom an fro m be hi nd
, ru bb ed hi s pe ni s ag ai ns t he r bu tt oc ks
, an d gr ab be d be twee n th e wom an 's le gs wit h hi s le ft ha nd

. He at te m pt ed to

reac h on e of th e wom an 's br eas ts wit h hi s rig ht ha nd
, bu t th e wom an cl am pe d he r arm do wn an d he ld Fi re Cl ou d's ha n d b e t w e e n h er arm an d rib s to bl oc k hi s ha nd fro m

- 2 -reac hi ng he r br eas t. Fi re Cl ou d co nt in ue d pu s h i n g h i s h an d fo rward

. The wom an

"yank ed away ," tu rn ed aro un d, an d p us he d F ire Clo ud . She scr eam ed at h im to ge t
away an d to ld h i m s h e w a s go in g to te ll he r bo y fri en d wha t ha d ha pp en ed

. Fi re Cl ou d di d no t le av e; as th e wom an ex pl ai n e d i n t r i a l
, "h e wou ld n't ge t away. " He in st ead to ld th e wom an , "Co m e on ba by. I kn ow y ou wan t m e." He reap pr oa ch ed he r

an d tri ed to ki ss he r on th e ne c k

. Sh e ag ai n pu sh ed hi m away. Sh e gr ab be d he r cl ot he s an d ra n o ut of F ire Clo ud 's h ou se

.

The wom an ev en tu al ly fo un d a r i de ho m e. Sh e di d no t cal l th e po li ce im m ed i a t e ly up on arri vi ng ho m e be cau se sh e was sc ared an d be li ev ed th e in ci de nt

was he r fau lt . The n ex t d ay , ho wev er, s he in fo rm ed po li ce o f wha t had ha pp en ed

.

Bec au se Fi re Cl ou d is an In di an a n d hi s ho m e is on In di an la nd
, th e Uni te d
St at es Att or ne y 's Office fo r th e Dis tri ct of So ut h Dako ta so ug ht an in di ct m en t from

a fed eral gr an d jury. The gr an d jury in di ct ed Fi re Cl ou d fo r two co un ts of se x- rel at ed cri m es

. Co un t I ch arg ed Fi re Cl ou d wit h ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e by fo rce un de r 18 Uni te d St at es Co de se ct io ns 11 53 an d 22 41 (a). Co un t II ch arg ed hi m wit h at te m pt ed

ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e un de r se ct io ns 11 53 an d 22 41 (a). At tri al
, th e di st ric t co ur t in st ru ct ed th e jury as to a le ss er-i nc lu de d of fen se of ab us iv e se xu al co n t a ct un de r

se ct io n 2 24 4( a)(1 ) as to Co un t I.

Fi re Cl ou d was tri ed on Octo be r 15 an d 16
, 20 13

. Alt ho ug h th e jury fo un d hi m

no t gu il ty of ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e by fo rce on Co un t I, it fo un d hi m gu il ty of th e le ss er-i nc lu de d of

fen se of a bu si ve se xu al co nt act

. On Co un t II, th e jury fo un d hi m
gu il ty of at te m

pt ed ag gr av at ed sex ua l ab us e. Fir e Cl ou d a pp eal s.

II

.

Fi re Cl ou d c on te nd s th at th e jury h ad in su ffi ci en t ev id en ce t o c on vi ct hi m of ei th er ab us iv e se xu al co nt act or at te m pt ed ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e

. Wh e n

- 3 -de te rm in in g whe th er ev id en ce was su ffi ci en t to su pp or t a jury's ve rd ic t, we vi ew th e

ev id en ce in th e li gh t m os t fav or ab le to th e ve rd ic t an d dr aw al l reas on ab le in fere nc es fro m th e ev id en ce in fav or of th e ve rd ic t. Uni te d St at es v. Ali
, 61 6 F.3 d 74 5, 75 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). Viewe d in th is li gh t, th e ev id en ce is su ffi ci en t if an y reas on ab le jury

co ul d h av e fo un d t he de fen da nt gu il ty bey on d a reas on ab le do ub t. Id

.

Am on g o th er el em en ts of b ot h c rimes, th e g ov ern m en t had to pr ov e th at Fir e Cl ou d co m

pl et ed th e se xu al co nd uc t or at te m pt ed co nd uc t "b y u si ng fo rce ag ai ns t [th e vi ct im ]. " See 18 U.S.C. §§ 22 41 (a), 22 44 (a)( 1) ; U n i te d St at es v. Tarn ow, 70 5 F.3 d 80 9, 81 3– 14 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (d es cri b i n g t he el em en ts of ag gr av at ed se xu al ab us e); Uni te d St at es v. All ery, 13 9 F.3 d 60 9, 61 1 (8 th Ci r. 19 98 ) ( d e s c r i b i n g th e el em en ts of ab us iv e se xu al co nt act ). Fi re Cl ou d do es no t arg ue th at th e go ve rn m en t
p r e s e n t e d in su ffi ci en t ev id en ce on an y of th e ot he r el em en ts ; he ch al le ng es si m pl y th at th e jury had su ffi ci en t ev id en ce t o fi nd th at he us ed for ce.

Neit he r s ect io n 22 41 no r 22 46 (th e se ct io n co nt ai ni ng de fin it io ns fo r th e

va rio us cri m es in Ch ap te r 10 9A) de fin e th e te rm "fo rce." W e p rev io us ly hav e h el d th e f o r c e el em en t ha s be en sa ti sf ie d whe n "t he de fen da nt ov erco m es , res tra in s, or in jure s th e vi ct im ." Uni te d St at es v. Eag le
, 13 3 F.3 d 60 8, 61 0 (8 th Ci r. 19 98 ). And si m pl y be cau se a vi ct im was ab le to es cap e do es no t m ean th at th e de fen da nt di d no t

us e fo rce. Al le ry , 13 9 F .3d at 6 11 –1 2.

Fi re Cl ou d co nt en ds th at th e tri al te st im on y fai ls to sh ow th at he res tra in ed or i n ju r e d th e wom an in an y way , an d th eref or e th e ev id en ce was in su ffi ci en t t o de m on st rat e fo rce. We di sa gr ee. The wom an tes ti fie d t ha t Fire C lo ud sn uc k u p o n he r fro m be hi nd an d gr ab be d he r whi le sh e was in th e sh owe r of a ba th ro om th at sh e lo ck ed whe n sh e en te red

. Fi re Cl ou d pl aced on e ha nd be twee n he r le gs an d at te m pt ed

to pl ace th e ot he r on he r br eas t. Sh e bl oc ke d t h e h a n d reac hi ng fo r he r br eas t, bu t Fi re Clo ud co nt in ue d pu sh in g it fo rward

. Sh e ha d to "yank [] away" to free he rs el f.
W he n s he free d h ers el f fro m Fir e Cl ou d's gra sp , sh e y el le d a t h im to ge t away

. Bu t

- 4 -Fi re Cl ou d "wo ul dn 't ge t away, " an d he reap pr o a c h e d t h e sh owe r an d at te m pt ed to ki ss th e wom an

. Sh e th en was fo rced to "s ho ve [] hi m ag ai n" be fo re sh e co ul d es cap e th e sh owe r an d l eav e th e b at hr oo m

.

Viewi ng th e fact s i n th e li gh t m os t fav or ab le to th e ve rd ic t an d dr awin g al l

reas on a b l e in fere nc es in th is li gh t, a reas on ab le jury co ul d fin d Fi re Cl ou d gu il ty be y on d a reas on ab le do ub t of bo th co un ts

. A reas on ab le jury co ul d in fer th at Fi re Cl ou d res tra in ed th e wom an , th ereb y sa ti sf y in g each co un t's fo rce req ui rem en t. The fact th at th e wom an was ab l e t o e s cap e Fi re Cl ou d wit ho ut ad di ti on al un welc om e

se xu al co nt act do es no t d is pr ov e th e u se of f or ce. See All ery, 13 9 F .3d at 6 11 –1 2.

W e aff irm th e jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t.

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