# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 8 -3 6 69

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Un i t ed St at es o f Am eri ca

Pl

ai n ti f f - Ap p el l ee

v

.

M i ch ael W ay

ne Pars on s

Def

en d a n t - Ap p el l a nt

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e Di s t ri ct o f Neb ras k a - Li n co l n

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Su b m i t t ed : No v em

b er 1 1 , 2 0 1 9
Fi l ed : J an u ary

7

, 2 0 2 0

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Befo re GRUENDER, KELLY, an d ERICKSON, Ci rcu it J u dg es

.

_ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _
ERICKSON, Ci rcu i t J u dg e.

M i ch a e l P a rs o n s ap p eal s aft er a ju ry fo u nd h i m g u i l t y o f b ei n g a fel o n in

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm , cl ai m i n g t h at t he t he d i s t ri ct co urt 1 erred b y d en y i ng h i s Ru l e

1 T h e Ho n o rab l e J o h n M

. Gerrard

, Ch i ef Un i t ed St at es Di s tri ct J u dg e fo r t h e Di s t ri ct o f Neb ras k a.2 9 m o ti o n fo r ju dg m en t of acq u i t t al b ecau se t h e ev id en ce was in s u ffi ci en t to s u s t ai n

h i s co n v i ct i o n

. Becau s e we fi n d t h e ev i d e n c e w a s s u ffi ci en t t o s u p p o rt Pars o n ’ s

co n vi ct i o n , we affi rm

.

I

. Ba ck g ro und

Pars on s cl ai m s t o b e an am b as s ad o r an d d i p lo m at o f t h e Ts i l h q o t 'i n (Ch i l co ti n )

Nat i o n , l ocat ed in Bri t i s h Co l u m b i a, Can ad a. In 2 0 0 9

, Pars o n s was co n v i ct ed o f

ag g rav at e d a s s a u l t

– a fel o n y o ffen s e – i n Ti p t o n Co u n t y , T en n es s ee. In J an u ary

2 0 1 7

, Pars o n s ab s co n d ed wh i l e o n p ret ri al rel eas e awai t i n g t ri al o n new Ten n es s ee

s t at e ch arg es o f b ei n g a fel on i n p o s s e s s i o n o f a fi rearm

. A warran t was is s u ed in

Ten nes see fo r h i s fai l u re t o ap pear.

On J an u ary 1 1

, 2 01 7

, Pars o n s p i l o t ed a s m al l p l an e t o t h e A r a p ah o e Ai rp o rt

l o cat ed in Fu rn as Co u nt y , N e b r a s k a

. It ap p ears t h at Pars o n s was en ro ut e t o t h e

Ts i l h q o t 'i n Nat i o n i n Can ad a. Th at s am e d ay , l aw en fo rcem en t o ffi cers t ri an g u l at ed

Pars o n s’ cel l p h o ne act i vi t y t o t h e area s urro u n di n g th e Arap ah o e Ai rp ort . Pars on s
el ect ed t o s leep i n t h e ai rp o rt o v ern i g h t an d was arres t ed at t h e ai rp o rt t h e n ex t

m o r n i n g b y o ffi cers fro m s ev eral st at e an d fed eral ag en ci es

. Becau s e t h e l aw

en fo rcem en t o ffi cers m i s t ak en ly b el i ev ed t h at Pars o n s had arri v ed b y m o t o r v eh i cl e,

t h ey d i d no t i m

po u n d o r s earch Pars o n s ’ p l an e at th e t im e o f Pars o ns ’ arres t

. It i s

u n d i s p u t ed t h at t h e p lan e rem ai n ed i n t h e h an gar fo r ap p ro x i m at el y t wo m o n t h s , an d

t h at s ev eral p eo p l e h ad acces s t o t h e p l an e d u ri n g t h i s t i m e.

On March 2 2

, 2 0 17

, o ffi cers fro m th e Fed eral B u r e au o f In v es t i g at i o n

s earch ed t h e pl an e p urs u an t t o a warran t an d di s co vered an AR-1 5 s t y l e ri fl e, t h ree

fu l l y -l o ad ed 3 0 -ro und m a g azi n es an d ad d i t i o n al am m u n i ti o n

. It em s b eari n g Pars o n s ’

n am e, i n cl u d i n g an i n s u ran ce ap p l i cat i o n an d a h an g ar recei p t , were fo u n d n ear t h e

g u n

. Pars o n s was ch arg ed wi t h b ei n g a fel o n i n p o ss es s i o n o f a fi rearm , in vi o l at i o n

o f 1 8 U.S.C. § 9 2 2 (g )(1 ).

-2

-Pars on s el ect ed t o p ro ceed t o t ri al p r o s e

. Th e ju ry h eard ev i den ce rel at ed t o

t h e p l an e an d i t s co nt en t s . Th e ev i d en ce i n cl u d ed ex cerp t s fro m t h ree reco rd ed jai l

cal l s m ad e b y Pars o n s p ri o r t o t h e s earch o f t h e pl an e. Du ri n g t h e reco rd ed cal l s

Pars o n s al l u d ed to i t em s (wh i ch h e referred t o as “ gi ft s” an d t h e “ n at i o n ’ s i t em s ”) t h at

were l eft i n t h e p l an e an d t hat n eed ed t o b e rem ov ed fro m t h e p l an e i m

m ed i at el y

.

L a w en fo rcem en t t raced an d t es ti fi ed ab o u t t h e p ro v en an ce o f t h e g u n ,

s h o wi n g an o ri g i nal pu rch as e i n Al ab am a i n 2 0 06 b y Mat t h ew L o v an

. Lo v an

t es t i fi ed t h at h e s o l d t h e g u n t o Pars o ns i n 2 00 8 an d h e n ev er s aw i t ag ai n . Pars on s

h i m s el f t es t i fi ed t hat h e p u rch as ed a g u n fro m L o v an , an d h e ad m i tt ed t hat t h e fi rearm

fo u n d i n t h e p l an e ap peared t o b e t h e s am e g u n t h at h e p u r c h a s e d f ro m Lo v an

. No t w i t hs t an d i n g t h i s ad m i s s io n , Pars o n s cl ai m ed t o h av e t rad ed t h e g u n t o a fri en d

wh o l at er p as s ed away

.

Aft er t h e g ov ern m en t res t ed

, Pars o n s m ov ed fo r a ju d g m en t o f acq u i t t al u n d er
Fed

. R. Cri m

. P. 2 9

, wh i ch t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt d en i ed

. Pars o n s was co n vi ct ed

, an d t h e
d i s t ri ct co u rt i m

p o sed a b el o w-g u i d el i n es s en t en ce o f 8 4 m o n th s ’ i m pri s o n m en t

. Pars o n s n o w ap p eal s , co n t en di ng i n s u ffi cie n cy o f t h e ev i d en ce. H e as s ert s t h e d i s t ri ct

co u rt erred wh en i t d en i ed h i s Ru l e 2 9 m o t io n

. Pars o ns cl ai m s t h e ev i d en ce fai l ed to

es t ab l i s h h e “ k no wi n g l y ” p o s s es s ed a fi rearm becau s e t h e ai rp l an e wh ere t h e g u n was

fo u n d h ad b een left u n l o ck ed an d u n at t en ded b efo re l aw en fo rcem en t o ffi cers fo u n d

t h e g u n.

I I

. Di s cus s i o n

W e rev i ew su ffi ci en cy o f t h e ev i d en ce in a cri m i n al cas e d e n o vo , vi ewi n g t h e

ev i d en ce “ i n t he l i g h t m o st fa v o r a b l e t o t h e g o v ern m en t

, res o l v i n g co n fl i ct s i n t h e

g o v ern m en t ’ s fav o r, an d accep ti n g al l reas o nab le i n feren ces t h at s up p o rt t h e v erd i ct .”

Un i ted St at es v

. M o r r i s, 7 2 3 F.3 d 9 3 4, 9 3 8 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 3 ) (q uo t at i o n o m i t t ed ).

Rev ers al i s warran t ed o n l y w h e n “ n o r e a s o nab l e ju ry co u ld fi n d al l t h e el em en t s

-3

-b ey o n d a reas o n ab le d ou b t

. . . .” Un i t ed St at es v

. W i es t

, 5 96 F.3 d 9 0 6

, 91 0 (8 t h Ci r.

2 0 1 0 ).

Un t i l recen t l y , p os s es s io n o f a fi rearm b y a co n v ict ed fel o n req u i red t h e

Go v ern m en t to p ro v e th ree el em en t s: “ (1 ) prev i o us co n v ict i o n o f a cri m e p u n i s h ab l e
b y a t erm o f i m

p ri s o n m en t ex ceed in g on e y ear, (2 ) kn o wi n g p o s ses s i o n of a fi rearm ,

an d (3 ) t h e fi rearm was i n o r affect i ng i n t er s t a t e co m m erce.” Un i t ed St at es v.

M o n tg o m ery , 7 0 1 F.3 d 12 1 8

, 1 2 2 1 (8 t h Ci r. 20 1 2 ). See 1 8 U .S.C. § 9 2 2 (g ). Th e

Su p rem e Co u rt h as ad d ed a fo u rt h el em en t : (4 ) t h at t h e d efen d an t “ k n ew h e b el o n g ed

t o t h e rel ev an t c a t e g o ry o f p ers o n s b arred fro m p o s s es si n g a fi rearm .” Reh ai f v.

Un i ted St at es ,

_

_ _ U.S.

_ _ _ , 1 3 9 S.Ct

. 2 19 1 (2 0 1 9). 2 Pars o n s ch al l en g es o n l y t h e

s eco n d el em en t

, arg u i n g t h at t h e ev i d en ce was i n s u ffi ci en t t o p ro v e h e k n o w i n g l y

p o s s es s ed t h e fi rearm

.

Po s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm m ay b e act u al o r co n st ru ct iv e. Un i ted St at es v

. Garret t

, 6 4 8 F.3 d 6 1 8

, 6 2 2 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 1 ). To s h o w co n s t ru ct i v e p o s s es s i o n , t h e g o v ern m en t

m u st p ro v e t h at t he defen d an t h ad “ d o m i n io n o v er t h e p rem i s es wh ere t h e fi rearm

2 Reh ai f was deci d ed aft er t h e fi l i n g o f t h i s ap p eal

, an d Pars o n s h as n o t rai s ed

a Reh ai f arg u m en t h ere. Nev ert h el es s , we fi n d t h at s u ch an arg u m en t wo u l d b e wi t h o u t m eri t. Fed

. R. Cri m

. P. 5 2 (b ); U n i t ed St at es v

. Ol an o , 5 07 U.S. 7 2 5

, 7 3 4 (1 9 9 3) (el em en t s o f p l ai n erro r rev i ew); U n i t ed St at es v

. Ho l li n g sh ed

, 9 40 F.3 d 4 1 0,
4 1 5 (8 t h Ci r. 2 01 9 ) (co n si d eri n g a Reh ai f arg u m en t rai s ed wh i l e t h e d i rect ap p eal was
p en di n g b ecau s e “ Su p rem e Co u rt d eci s i on s i n cri m i n al cas es ap p l y t o al l cas es
p en di n g o n d i rect rev i ew”). At t h e t i m e o f h i s arres t

, Pars o n s h ad ab s co n d e d f r o m
p ret ri al rel eas e i n Ten nes see, wh i le awai t i n g t ri al o n s t at e ch arg es fo r b ei n g a fel o n i n p o ss es s i o n o f a fi rearm

. He s erv ed m o r e t h a n t w o y ears i n p ri s o n fo r t h e

u n d erl y i n g ag g rav at ed fel o n y as s au l t co n v i ct i o n. Th u s , ev en a s s u m i n g th at Reh ai f

ap p li es an d s o m e erro r o ccu rred

, Pars o n s can n o t s h o w a “ reas o n ab l e p ro b ab i l i t y t h at

, b u t fo r t he erro r, t h e o u t co m e o f t h e p ro ceed i n g w o u ld h av e b een d i fferen t.” Un i t ed
St at es v

. Val q ui er, 9 3 6 F.3 d 7 8 1

, 7 8 5 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 9 ); s ee Reh ai f, 1 3 9 S.Ct

. at 2 1 9 8 (d o u bt i n g t h at t h e o b l ig at i o n t o p ro v e a defen d an t ’ s kn o wl ed g e o f h i s s t at u s wi l l b e b u rd en s om e b ecau s e k n owl ed g e can b e i n ferred fro m ci rcu m s t an t i al ev i d en ce).

-4

-[was ] l ocat ed

, o r co n t ro l

, o wn ers h i p , o r d o m i n i on o ver t h e fi rear m i t s el f.” Un i t ed

St at e s v

. M a x wel l

, 3 63 F.3 d 8 1 5

, 8 1 8 (8 t h Ci r. 2 00 4 ), cert

. d en i ed

, 54 3 U.S. 1 1 5 4,

1 2 5 S.Ct

. 12 9 3 (2 0 05 ). “ Co n s t ru ct i v e p os s e s s io n m ay b e es tab l is h ed by

ci rcu m s t an t i al ev id en ce al o n e , b u t t h e g o v ern m en t m u s t s h ow a s u ffi ci en t n ex u s
b et ween t h e d efen d an t an d t h e fi rearm .” Un i t ed St at es v

. Ev an s , 4 3 1 F.3 d 34 2

, 3 4 5
(8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 5 )

. In d eed

, “ a ju ry rarel y has di rect ev i d en ce o f a d efen d an t ’ s

k n o wl ed g e, [and] it is ge n e r a lly e st ab l i s h ed t h ro u g h ci rcu m s t an ti al ev i d en ce.” Un i t ed

St at es v

. Sm i t h

, 5 08 F.3 d 8 6 1 , 8 6 7 (8 th Ci r. 2 0 0 7 ) (q u o ti n g Un i ted St at es v . Ojed a,

2 3 F.3 d 1 4 7 3

, 1 4 7 6 (8 t h Ci r. 1 9 9 4 )). Th i s is t ru e ev en i f o th er p eo p l e h ad acces s to

t h e l o cat io n wh ere t h e fi rearm w as fo u nd

. See, e.g ., Un it ed St at es v

. W h i t e, 8 1 6 F.3 d

9 7 6 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 6) (fi n di n g co n s t ru ct iv e p o s s es s i o n wh ere o t h ers h a d a k ey t o t h e

s t orag e u ni t wh ere t h e g u n was fo u n d an d ci rcu m st an t i al ev i d en ce s h o wed d efen d an t

h ad k n o wl ed g e o f t h e s to rag e u n i t s co n t en t s ).

Here, o n t wo occas i o n s , Pars o n s h i m s el f pr ovide d e vide nc e t o s u p p o rt a fi n d i n g

t h at h e k n o w i n g l y p o s s es sed t h e g u n : fi rs t

, i n t h e rec o r d e d jai l cal l s wh en h e

referen ced i t em s t h a t n e e d e d t o b e rem o ved fro m th e pl an e; an d

, s eco n d

, wh en h e
ad m i t t ed at t ri al th at th e g u n l oo k ed l i k e t h e fi rearm h e p u rch as ed fro m L ov an

. Lo v an

t es t i fi ed t h at i t was t h e s am e g un h e s ol d t o Pars o n s i n Al ab am a i n 2 0 0 8

.

Pars on s ’ cl ai m th at t h e fi rearm ’ s p res en ce on th e p l an e p i l o t e d b y h i m to

Neb ras ka i s a s u rp ri s in g an d i n ex p l i cab l e co i n ci d en ce st rai n s cred u l i t y

. Pars o n s h ad

d o m i n i on o v er t h e p l an e wh en h e fl ew fro m Ten n es s ee t o Neb ras k a. Th e g u n was

fo u n d n ear pers o n a l i tem s t h at b el o n g ed t o Pars o ns

. An d, Pars o n s h ad recen t l y
ab s co n d ed fro m Ten n es s ee wh i l e awai t i n g tri al on a s t at e ch arg e fo r b ei n g a fel o n in

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm

.

Tak en t o g e t h e r , t here was s u ffi ci en t ev id en ce t o es tab l is h a n ex u s b et ween

Pars o n s an d t h e g u n

. Th e di st ri ct co u rt d i d n ot err i n den y i n g Pars o n ’ s Ru l e 2 9

m o ti o n fo r ju d g m en t o f acq u i t t al

.

-5

-I I I

. Co ncl us i o n

Th e ju d g m en t o f t he d i st ri ct co u rt i s affi rm ed

. Pars o n s’ rem ai n i n g m o t i o n s fo r

s t ay , fo r rel eas e fro m

cu st o dy , an d fo r ret u rn o f h i s p ro p ert y are d en i ed

.

KELLY, Ci rcu i t J u d ge, co n cu rri n g

.

I co n cu r i n al l as p ect s o f t h e o p i ni o n ex cep t fo o t n o te 2

.

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