N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
UNITED STATES OF AM ER IC A, Plaintiff - Appe lle e , v. VIC TOR C HAVEZ-GAR C IA, De fe nda

nt - Appe lla

nt. No. 12-30370

D.C . No. 1:11-c r-00041-EJL-6
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ida

ho Edwa rd J. Lodge , Distric t Judge , Pre siding Subm itte d M arc h 3, 2014 ** Portla nd, Ore gon B e fore : TR OTT a

nd W . FLETC HER , C irc uit Judge s, a nd B LOC K, Se nior Distric t Judge
. *** 

# FIL E D APR 11 2014 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3. ** The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a )(2). *** The Honora

ble Fre de ric B loc k, Se nior Distric t Judge for the U.S. Distric t C ourt for the Ea s te rn Distric t of Ne wYork, sitting by de signa tion.B e c a

use the fa c ts a

nd c irc um sta

nc e s of this c a se are we ll known to the pa rtie s , we re pe a t the m

only a s ne c e ssa

ry to illum inat e our de c ision. I The gove rnm e n t c andidly a c k nowle dge s its e rror in ina dve rte n tly fa iling to tim e ly disc lose a

late -disc o v e re d loc a l a ge nc y ’ s e x c ulpa tory finge rprint re p ort. As
soon a s the gove rnm e nt be c a m e aware of the re port, it wa s turne d ove r to C have z Garc ia ’ s attorne y . At the sa m e tim e the gove rnm e n t

a le rte d the c ourt to its la

pse , the g ove rnm e nt sugge ste d tha t the de fe nda

nt be give n

m ore tim e be fore tria l to pre p are . De fe n se c ounse l did not re que st a c ontinua nc e , an d the c ourt ba

rre d the gove rnm e nt -- but not C h a ve z -Garc ia

-- from re fe rring to or m a king a

ny use of the
re port during trial. During the tria l, de fe n se c ounse l introduc e d the re port a nd e ffe c tive ly

use d it to c ross-e xam ine a

ke y gove rnm e nt witne s s, e sta b l ishing tha

t his c lie n t’ s finge rprints we re not on a ba g of m e tha

m p he tam ine found in his m othe r’ s house whe re he live d. Ac c ordingly , re vie wing this issue de novo, we c onc lude be y ond
any doubt tha t the gove rnm e nt’ s fa ilure to tim e ly disc lose the re port wa s ha rm le ss. I I In c onne c t ion with his se

nte nc e , C have z -Garc ia

argue s tha

t the c o urt e rre d in
c a lc ulat ing the a m ount of m e t ham phe tam ine a ttribute d to him , i.e ., 422.7 gra m s of 2a c tua l m e tha m phe tam ine , the a m ount found in his re s ide nc e . He sa y s the am ount should be only

28 gra m s, a n am ount he re fe rre d to in a te le phone c a ll a s a

“ worke r,” m e aning one ounc e , or 28 gra m s . W e re vie wthis issue for c le ar e rror. A c onspira

tor is a c c ounta

ble for “ re a sona

bly fore s e e a

ble a c ts a nd om issions of othe rs in furthe ranc e of the jointly unde rtake n c rim ina l a c tivity , tha t oc c urre d during the c om

m ission of the

offe nse of c onvic tion, in pre pa ra tion for tha

t offe nse , or in the c ourse of atte m

pting to a void de te c tion or re s ponsibility for that offe nse .” U.S. Se nte nc ing Guide line s M anua l § 1B 1.3(a )(1)(B ) (2013). C have z -Garc ia

wa s a c tive ly

involve d in the m e tha

m phe tam ine c onspira c y , origina lly sa id he kne w the m e t

ham phe tam ine wa s in the house , a nd wa s c a u ght on
a re c ording using c o de words in thetra nsa c tion. The c ourt did not c le arly e rr in
a ttributing 422.7 gra

m s of m e tha

m phe tam ine to C h a ve z -Garc ia
. AFFIR M ED.

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