T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s not * pr e c e de nte xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w i tho utoral ar gu m entpu rs uantt o F eder al R ul e of A pp el l at e P roce du re 34 (a )( 2).

T he H onor abl e R i c ha r d M i l l s , S e ni orU ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge f or *** the C e ntr a l D i s tr i c tof

I l l i noi s , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E N IN T H C IR C U IT UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. DA NI E L E . MOR E N, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 09- 50576 D. C . No . C R - 0 8 - 0 1 2 6 8 - GH K ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e C e n tr a l D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia G e or ge H . K i ng, D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d N ove m be r4, 2010 * * P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B ef or e : W A LL A CE a nd G RA BE R, Ci r c ui tJ ud ge s , a nd M I LL S, Se ni orD i s tr i ct *** Judg e. 

# FI LED NO V 10 2010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

D ani el E . M oren appeal s fr om hi s conv i ct i on for posse ss i on of an un re gi st er ed s a w ed -o ff sh o t g u n , i n v i o l at i o n o f 2 6 U . S . C . § 5 8 6 1 (d ). M o ren w as sen t en ced to s e r v e 1 2 m o n th s a n d 1 d a y , b u t w a s a llo w e d to r e m a in o n b a il p e n d i n g t h is ap p e a l. M or e n c l a i m s tha t the r e w a s i ns uf f i c i e nt e vi de nc e s uppor t i ng hi s c onvi c t i on. W e ha ve ju r is d ic tio n p u r s u a n t to 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . F ol l ow i ng a tw o-day bench tri al , M oren w as foun d gui l ty of th e c h ar ged o f f e n s e . O u rr e v ie w o f

w h e th e r s u f

f ic ie n t e v id e n c e w a s p r e s e n te d to s u p p o r t a cri m i n al co n v i ct i o n i s g o v e r n ed b y J a c k s o n v . V ir g in ia , 4 4 3 U .S . 3 0 7 ( 1 9 7 9 ) . See U n ite d S ta te s v . N

e v ils , 5 9 8 F . 3 d 1 1 5 8 , 1 1 6 3

– 6 4 (9 th C i r. 2 0 1 0 ) (en b an c). W e m u st de t e r m i ne “ w he the r , a f t e rvi e w i ng the e vi de nc e i n the l i ghtm os tf a vor abl e t o the p r o s e c u tio n , any r a t i ona l tr i e rof f a c tc oul d ha ve f

ound the e s s e nt i a l e l e m e nt s of the cr i m e bey on d a re as on abl e dou bt . ” J ac k s on , 4 4 3 U .S . a t 3 1 9 . A “ f i r e a r m ” i s de f

i ne d, i n pe r t i ne ntpa r t , a s “ ( 1) a s hot gun ha vi ng a ba rr e l or barr el s of l es s than 1 8 i nches i n l ength; ” or “ (2) aw eapo n m ade f rom a s ho t gu n i f s uch w e ap o n a s m o d if

ie d h a s a n o v e r a ll le n g th o f le s s th a n 2 6 in c h e s o ra b a rr e l o rb a rr e ls of l e s s th a n 1 8 i n c h e s i n l e n g th . ” 2 6 U . S. C. § 5 8 4 5 ( a ) ( 1 )

– ( 2 ) . I n o r d e r t o o b t a i n a conv i ct i on un der § 58 61 (d), the go vernm ent m ust prov e that the defe nd ant kn ew that th e u n r e g is te r e d f

ir e a r m in h is p o s s e s s io n w a s ille g a l to p o s s e s s . See U ni ted Stat es v. Su m m ers , 2 6 8 F .3 d 6 8 3 , 6 8 7 - 8 8 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) .3

T he pa r t i e s s t i pul a t e d tha tthe s a w e d- of f s hot gun w a s unde rthe l e ga l l e ngth a nd u n r e g is te r e d . T h u s , th e g o v e rn m e n t n e e d e d o n l y to p r o v e th a t M o r e n k n o w in g ly p o s s e s s e d th e u n r e g is te r e d f ir e a r m in o r d e rto s u s ta in th e c o n v ic tio n . W e c o n clu d e th at th e g o v er n m en t’ s ev id en ce w as su ff icien t t o su p p o rt M o re n ’s c o n v ic tio n . O n e o f

th e in v e s tig a t i n g d e te c tiv e s te s tif ie d th a t M o r e n im m e d ia te ly i de nt i f i e d the s hot gun a s hi s a nd vol unt e e r e d i nf or m a t i on about i t . T he othe rde t e c t i ve t es t i fi ed tha t M o re n stat ed thatsom eone had b roug htthe shot gu n t o h i m ei gh tye ar s e a r l i e ra nd he kne w tha ti t w a s i l l e ga l . A l though M or e n t e s t i f i e d tha the c onf

us e d the i l l egal shot gu n w i th a leg al fi re arm thathad b ee n g i ven t o h i m t o repai r, the di stri ct j u d g e w as en t i t l ed t o rej ectth i s t est i m o n y. B ecau se th e d i stri ctj u d g e w as i n th e b est p o s itio n to o b s e r v e th e d e m e a n o ro f th e w i t n e s s e s , w e r e s o lv e m a tte r s o f c r e d ib ility in a m a n n e rs u p p o r tin g th e v e r d ic t. Se e U n ite d S ta te s v . Me

jia , 559 F . 3d 1113, 1116 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 9 ) . Wh e n th e e v i d e n c e i s v i e we d i n th e l i g h tm o s tf a v o r ab l e t o th e g o v e rn m e n t , we c o n c lu d e th a t a r a tio n a l tr ie ro f f a c t c o u ld h a v e f

o u n d e a c h o f th e e le m e n ts to s u s ta in a c o n v ic tio n u n d e r2 6 U .S .C . § 5 8 6 1 ( d ) . A F F I R M E D .