FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT M ay 4, 2006 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 o c k e tN o . 0 5 - 1 0 0 0 6 - C R - K MM 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 J O R G E C A R T A Y A - A C O S T A , J O S E C A R T A Y A - A C O S T A , D e fe n d a n ts - A p p e lla n ts .

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rom the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt forthe S outhe r n D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ (M ay 4, 20 06 ) B efo re A N D E R S O N , B IR C H an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

Jorge C ar t ay a- A cost a app ea l s hi s c on vi cti on for forci bl y a ss aul t i ng U ni t ed S ta te s C o a s t G u a r d o f

f ic e r s o n th e g r o u n d th a t th e r e w a s in s u f f ic ie n t e v id e n c e to su st ai n th e v erd i cto f th e j u ry. S ee 1 8 U . S . C . § 1 1 1 . Jo rg e an d h i s b ro th er, Jo se C ar t ay a- A cost a, appeal thei r 72-m on th sent ence s on the grou nd thatthe se nt ence e nha nc e m e nt s forr e c kl e s s e nda nge r m e ntw e r e i m pe r m i s s i bl e doubl e - c ount i ng by the di stri ctcourt . B ec ause the evi dence w as suff i ci entfor the j ury t o i nferthat J or ge ha d for c i bl y a s s a ul t e d the C oa s tG ua r d of f i c e r s , a nd the di s tr i c tc our tdi d not i mp o s e th e r e c k l e s s e n d a n g e r me n te n h a n c e me n t , w e a f f i r m. B AC KG RO UN D O n F eb ru ary 8 , 2 0 0 5 , Jo rg e an d Jo se, w h o are b ro th ers, w ere i n a “ g o -fast b o at ” 2 7 m i l es so u th easto f K ey W est , F l o ri d a. W h en th ey w ere ap p ro ach ed b y a U ni t ed S t at es C oastG uard C ut t er , Jose and Jorge att em pt ed t o fl ee . Jose pi l ot ed the go -fas tbo ati n an err ati c m anner ata hi gh ra t e of s peed and i gn ored orders f r o m th e C o a s t G u a r d , in b o th S p a n is h a n d E n g lis h , to s to p th e g o - fa s t b o a t. T he C oastG uard l aunched a ri gi d-hu l l i nfl at abl e boatw i th seven un i form ed cr ew m em bers aboard. T he i nfl at abl e boatapproached the go -fas tbo at , w hi ch then m a ne uve r e d a nd c a m e i n c ont a c tw i th the i nf l a t abl e boa ts e ve r a l t i m e s a nd d a m a g e d it. W h ile th e in f la tab le b o a t w a s 1 0 to 1 5 fe e t f r o m th e g o - fa s t b o a t, Jorge y el l ed t o the C oastG uard cre w thatthe brothers w ou l d n otst op un t i l they3

r e a c he d l a nd, br a ndi s he d am e t a l c r ow ba ra tthe c r e w of the i nf l a t abl e boa t , a nd threa t ened t o “ hi t ” them i f they c am e c l oser . T he cr ew of the i nfl at abl e boat pe ppe rs pr a y e d J or ge a nd J os e , butthe br othe r s di d nots t op the i rboa t . J or ge c ont i nue d t o br a ndi s h the c r ow ba ra nd m a de j abbi ng m ot i ons tha tthe c r e w of the in f la tab le b o a t in te rp r e te d a s a n a tte m p t to p u n c tu r e th e in f la tab le b o a t. T h e c r e w o f

th e in f la tab le b o a t p e p p e rs p r a y e d J o r g e a n d J o s e as e c o n d tim e . Jorge dropp ed the cr ow bar a nd Jose st op ped the go -fas tbo at . T he C oastG uard c r e w boa r de d the go- fa s tboa tt o a rr e s tJ or ge a nd J os e . J or ge m ove d t ow a r d a m e m be rof

the boa r di ng t e a m i n athr e a t e ni ng m a nne r , a nd the m e m be rof the boa r di ng t e a m s tr uc k J or ge on the a r m w i th a n e xpa ndabl e ba t on. A ttr i a l , the j ur y found both J or ge a nd J os e gui l ty of for c i bl e a s s a ul tupon a fe dera l offi ce r. S ee 18 U . S . C . § 1 11 . T he pre-s ent ence i nv es t i gat i on re po rt r e c om m e nde d s e ve r a l s e nt e nc e e nha nc e m e nt s , i nc l udi ng e nha nc e m e nt s forc r e a t i ng as e r i ous r i s k of

i nj ur y t o l a w e nfor c e m e ntof f i c e r s , U . S . S . G . § 3A 1. 2( b) , a nd r e c kl e s s e nda nge r m e ntof a nothe rpe r s on dur i ng f l i ghtf r om l a w e nfor c e m e nt of f i c e r s , U . S . S . G . § 3C 1. 2. T he di s tr i c tc our te nha nc e d the s e nt e nc e s for obs tr uc t i on of

j us t i c e , butnotr e c kl e s s e nda nge r m e nt . T he t ot a l of fe ns e l e ve l for both J or ge a nd J os e w a s 27, w i th ar a nge of i m pr i s onm e ntof

70 t o 87 m onths . T he d is tr ic t c o u r t s e n te n c e d b o th J o r g e a n d J o s e to 7 2 m o n th s o f im p r is o n m e n t.4 STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW

“ We r e v i e w d e n o v o ac h a l l e n g e t o th e s u f f i c i e n c y o f

th e e v i d e n c e , a n d we c o n s id e rth a t e v id e n c e in th e lig h t m o s t fa v o r ab le to th e g o v e r n m e n t, d r a w in g a ll i nfe r e nc e s a nd c r e di bi l i ty c hoi c e s i n fa vorof the j ur y ’ s ve r di c t . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. G u e rr a , 1 6 4 F .3 d 1 3 5 8 , 1 3 5 9 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) ( in te r n a l c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . W e r e v ie w d e n o v o th e a p p lic a tio n o f th e s e n te n c in g g u id e lin e s b y th e d is tr ic t c o u r t. U ni t ed S t at es v. G ra nt , 39 7 F . 3d 13 30 , 13 32 (11th C i r. 20 05 ). DI S CUS S I ON J o r g e a r g u e s th a t th e e v id e n c e p r e s e n te d a t tr ia l w a s in s u f f ic ie n t to s u s ta in the gu i l ty ver di ctby the j ury bec ause hi s a cti on s di d n otsupp ortthe i nfer ence that h e h a d fo r c ib ly a s s a u lte d th e in f la tab le b o a t c r e w . E v id e n c e is s u f f ic ie n t to s u s ta in ac onvi c t i on i f

“ a f t e rvi e w i ng the e vi de nc e i n the l i ghtm os tfa vor abl e t o the pr os e c ut i on, a ny r a t i ona l tr i e rof fa c tc oul d ha ve found the e s s e nt i a l e l e m e nt s of the c r i m e be y ond ar e a s onabl e doubt . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. H e r na nde z , 433 F . 3d 1328, 1 3 3 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) ( c itin g J a c k s o n v . V ir g in ia , 4 4 3 U .S . 3 0 7 , 3 1 9 , 9 9 S . C t. 2 7 8 1 , 2 7 8 9 ( 1 9 7 9 ) ) . T h e e v id e n c e n e e d n o t “e x c lu d e e v e r y r e a s o n ab le h y p o th e s is of i nnoc e nc e orbe w hol l y i nc ons i s t e ntw i th e ve r y c onc l us i on e xc e pttha tof g u il t[.] ” U n it ed S tates v . B ell, 6 7 8 F .2 d 5 4 7 , 5 4 9 (5 th C ir. U n itB 1 9 8 2 ). “[W ]e a r e bound by the j ur y ’ s c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i ons , a nd by i t s r e j e c t i on of

the5

i nfe r e nc e s r a i s e d by the de fe nda nt . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. P e t e r s , 403 F . 3d 1263, 1268 (11th C i r. 20 05 ). F o rci b l e assau l ti s “ a w i l l fu l att em p to r th reatt o i n fl i ctseri o u s b o d i l y i n j u ry, coup l ed w i th an app ar entpres entabi l i ty [ t o d o so] , w hi ch ca uses the i nt ended vi cti m a r ea sonabl e app re hensi on of i m m edi at e s er i ou s bod i l y har m or death. ” U ni t ed S t at es v. F al l en, 25 6 F . 3d 10 82 , 10 88 (11th C i r. 20 01 ). P roof of ph ys i ca l cont ac ti s notre qu i re d. Id. at10 87 . Jorge argues thathe st at ed or i m pl i ed c o n d itio n a l th r e a ts o f

fo r c e b u t la c k e d th e ab ility to in f lic t h a r m b e c a u s e th e b o a ts w ere sep arat ed b y 1 0 t o 1 5 feeto f w at er. Jo rg e’ s arg u m en tfai l s. J o r g e ’s a c tio n s c le a r ly s u p p o r t a n in fe r e n c e th a t h e w illf u lly th r e a te n e d to in f lic t s e r io u s b o d ily h a r m a n d h a d th e ab ility to d o s o . H e s ta te d th a t h e w o u ld

“ hi t ” the c r e w a nd the i nf l a t abl e boa t , a nd he m a de tha ts t a t e m e ntw hi l e w i e l di ng a c r ow ba r . A c r ow ba rc a n be us e d a s aw e a pon t o i nf l i c ts e r i ous bodi l y ha r m or de a th, a nd the c r ow ba rc oul d ha ve be e n us e d t o punc tur e the i nf l a t abl e boa ta nd si nk i t , po t ent i al l y drow ni ng m em bers of the cr ew . Jorge had the abi l i ty t o i nfl i ct the threa t ened harm beca use the i nfl at abl e boatw as approachi ng the go -fas tbo at a n d th e g o - fa s t b o a t h a d a lr e a d y m a d e c o n ta c t w ith th e in f la tab le b o a t a n d c o u ld qui c kl y do s o a ga i n. W e a f f i r m J or ge ’ s c onvi c t i on. Jo rg e an d Jo se o bj ectt o th e sen t en ce en h an cem en tfo r reck l ess6

en d an g erm en t . U . S . S . G . § 3 C 1 . 2 . T h ey arg u es th ati ti s d o u b l e co u n t i n g b ecau se se cti on 3C 1. 2 i s bas ed on the sa m e und er l yi ng cond uctas the enhancem entun der s e c t i on 3A 1. 2( b) . A l though the gove r nm e ntc onc e de s tha tthe e nha nc e m e ntfor r e c kl e s s e nda nge r m e nti s doubl e c ount i ng a nd r e c om m e nds ar e m a nd for r e s e n te n c in g , o u rr e v ie w o f th e r e c o r d r e v e a ls th a t n e ith e rJ o r g e n o rJ o s e a c tu a lly r e c e i ve d as e nt e nc e e nha nc e m e ntunde rs e c t i on 3C 1. 2. A tthe s e nt e nc i ng he a r i ng, the di s tr i c tc our tove rr ul e d the obj e c t i on of de fe ns e c ouns e l t o the e nha nc e m e ntfor re ckl es s e nd angerm ent , bu tw hen the di stri ctcourti m po se d the se nt ence s, the court i n cl u d ed an en h an cem en to n l y fo r o b stru ct i o n o f j u sti ce, n o treck l ess e nda nge r m e nt . W i thoute xpl a na t i on, the di s tr i c tc our tdi d noti nc l ude the en h an cem en t , u n d er sect i o n 3 C 1 . 2 , i n i t s fi n al cal cu l at i o n s. T h e sen t en ce i s, the r e for e , a f

f i r m e d. CONCL US I ON Jorge’ s c on vi cti on and the se nt ence s for bo th Jorge and Jose ar e AF F I RME D.