P u rsuan t t o 5 T H C IR
. R. 47. 5, t h e courtha s det erm i n ed that t h i s opi n i on * shou l d n otbe pu bl i shedan d i s not preceden texcept u n der t h e l i m i t ed c i r c um s t anc e s s e tf

o r t h i n 5 T H C IR
. R. 47. 5. 4. 

### INTHE UNITED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 50135 Su m m ar yC al endar

UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA, P l ai n t i f f

- A pp el l ee

v. J A M E S D E S H A W N H U T C H IN S , a ls o k n o w n a s J a m e s H u tc h in s , D e fe nda nt

- Appe l l ant

A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or th e W est ernD i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 7: 08- C R

- 191- 2

B ef ore R E AV L E Y , D AV IS, an d H AY N E S , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * Ja m e s D e s haw n H ut c hi ns w as c o nvic t e d o f a i di ng anda be t t i ng t he po s s e s s i o n wi t h i n t e n tt o d i s t r ib u t e f iv e g r a m s o rmo r e o f c o c a i n e b a s e , a i d i ng anda be t t i ng t he po s s e s s i o n wi t h i nt e ntt o di s t r ibut e c o c ai ne , a nd a i di ng and abett i n g t h e possess i on of a f i rearm i n f

u rt h eran ce of

a dru g t raf

f i cki n g cri m e. H u tc h in s a r g u e s th a t t h e e v id e n c e w a s in s u ffic i e n tt o s u p p o r t h is
c o nvi c t i o ns . “Thi s co ur tm us ta f f i r m ac o nvic t i o n if

t he e vi de nc e , v i e w e d i n t he

United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D October 20, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 09- 50135

2 l i gh t m ost fav ora b l e to th e v erd i ct, w i th a l l rea son a b l e i n feren ces an dcred ib i l i ty
c hoi c es m ade i n suppor tof i t , i s suc h t hata t r i erof fac tr eas onably c oul d have fou n dthe e s sen ti a lelem en ts of th e crim e b ey on da re a son a b l e d ou b t. ” Un i t ed S t ate s v . Pan d o Fran co , 5 0 3 F .3 d3 8 9 , 3 9 3 -9 4 (5 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ), cer t
. den i ed , 128 S

. C t. 1 8 7 4 (20 0 8 ). Anyo ne w ho “ ai ds , a be t s , c o uns e l s , c o m m and s , i nduc e s o rpr o c u r e s ” t he
c om m i ss i on o f

an of fens e “i s pun i shabl e as a pri nci pal

. ” 18 U

. S. C

. § 2. To pr ove ai di ng anda be t t i ng, t he G o ve r nm en tm us tpr o vet hatt he e l e m e nt s o f t he
s ubs t ant iveo f

fe ns e o c c ur r e d and t hat t he de fe nda nta s s o c i at e d hi m s e l f w i t h t he
ve nt ur e , pa r t i c i pa t e d i n t he v e nt ur e , a nd s o ugh tb y hi s a c t i o ns t o m ak e t he
v e n tu r e s u c c e e d

. Pan d o Fran co , 503 F. 3d at 394. H ut c hi ns doe s notar gue that t h e G overnm en tfai l ed to p rove t h at th e el em en t s of t h e substantive of

fen ses occurred. H e argu es t h at th e evi den ce is i n suff i ci en tt o sup port t h e ot h er el em ent s of

ai di ng and abett i ng. A c c or di ng t o the evi denc e attr i al , H ut c hi ns w as a pass engeri n a S U Vt hat
w a s s to p p e da r o u n d1 :1 5 inth e m o r n in go n J u ly3 0 , 2 0 0 8 , inO d e s s a , T e x a s . A pol i ce of

f i cer saw H u t chi n s m ak i n g “ st u f f i n g” or “reachi n g” m ovem en t s t ow ard th e p a sse n ge r d oo r com p a rtm en t of the S U V , w h ere m a rij u a n aw a s f ou n d

. In a pa i r of

short s f

ou n d i n t h e m i dd l e of t h e t h i rd seat of t h e SU V , pol i ce of

f i cers f o und a ba g o f

cr ac k c o c ai ne , ab ago f po w de rc o c ai ne , aha ndg un, a nd a pho t o c o pyof

t he dr ive r ’ s l i c e ns e of t he SU V’ s dr ive r , J o hnnyM c Bri de , J r . , w ho
w as H ut c hi ns ’ s c o us i n. Exp e r t s t e s t i f i e d thatt he a m ount s o f c r ac k c o c ai ne ( 20. 26 gr am s) and of p ow derc oc ai ne ( 22. 96 gr am s) w er e c ons i st entw i t h an i n ten t t o d i strib u te. M cB ri d e h a don h i s p erso n ov er $ 1 0 0 0 i n cas h , bro k en i n to $ 1 0 0 i n c r e m e n t s , c o n s i s t e n twi t h dr ug t r a f f i c k i n g . Hu t c h i n s a d m i t t e dt o F BI agent s t hat , af

t erdar k on July 29, 2008, he and M c B r i de had s t ol en t he dr ugs an d gu n fr om the H obbs, N ew M exi co, h om e of a person M cB ri de k n ew t o be a dr ug de al e ra nd the n ha d r e t ur ne d t o O de s s a f o rafam i l y f

unc t i o n.N o. 09- 50135

3 Thi s e vi de nc e w as s uf f i c i e ntt o s at i s f

y t he r e m ai ni ng e l e m e nt s o f a i di ng anda be t t i ng. H ut c hi ns ad m i t t e d t hat he and M c Bri de br o ke i nt o akno w n dr ug dea l er’ s hom e an d st ol e t h e drug s and a f i rearm . Th i s es t abli shed , or at l east
su p p orted a re a son a b l e infere n ce, th a t H u tch i n s s h a r edthe cri m i n a li n ten t t o possess t h e drug s w i t h an i n t en tt o di st ribu t e t h em an d to possess t h e f i rearm i n f ur t he r anc e o f

t he dr ug t r af

f i c ki ng c r i m e . I tal s o es t ab l i s he d t hatH ut c hi ns e nga ged i n af

f i rm ative cond u ctdesi gn ed to m ak e t h e ven t u re s uc c e e d a nd s o ugh t b yh is a c tio n s to m a k e th e v e n tu r e s u c c e e d

. S ee Pan d o Fran co , 503 F. 3d at394. A l th ou gh H u tch i n s d i dn ot p rov i d e d eta i l edi n fo r m a tio n to t h e F B I ag en ts
r e ga r di ng t he H o bb s ho m e o ra n e s t i m at e d t i m e tha the a nd M c Bri de burgl ar i ze d i t , t hatdoes n otn egat e the t es t i m ony t hatH ut c hi ns adm i t t ed that h e an d M cB ri de burgl ari zed a hom e an d st ol e t h e drug s and gu n s t h at w ere l ater f o und i n t he SU V. The l ac k o f H ut c hi ns ’ s f

i nge r pr i n t s on t he s e it e m s i s o f no
m o m e ntb e c aus e af i nge r pr i ntexpert t e s t i f i e d thathe w as una bl e t o l i f ta ny usabl e l at entpr i nt s f r om thes e i t em s. B ec ause a r at i onalt r i erof fac tc oul d have f ound t hatH ut c hi ns ai ded and abe t t ed the s ubst ant ive of fens es, hi s c hal l enge t o t h e suf

f i ci en cy of

t h e evi den ce fai l s. Hu t c h i n s a l s o a r g u e s t h a tt h e d i s t r i c tc o u r te r r e di n d e n y i n gh i m a
r e d u c t i o n i n h i s o f

fe n s e l e v e l f

o r h i s mi n o r r o l e i n t h e o f fe n s e u nd e rU. S. S

. G. § 3 B 1 .2
. Am in o rro le re d u c tio n a p p lie s o n ly to a d e fe n d a n t w h o is s u b s ta n tia lly l e s s c ul pa bl e t han t he av e r ag e pa r t i c i pa nt and “ pe r i phe r al t o t he a dv anc e m e nt of th e ill i ci t activity. ” Uni t e d S t at e s v. Vi l lanu e va , 408 F

. 3d193 , 203

- 04 (5t h C i r. 20 05 )

. The de fe nda ntha s t he b ur de n o f s ho w i ng t hathe i s e nt i t l e d t o t he
a dj u s tm e n t. Un itedS ta tes v. G a rc ia , 242 F. 3d 593, 597 ( 5t h C i r . 2001)

. E v e n if M c B r id e w a s t h e s o u r c e o f th e in fo r m a t io n a b o u tth e d r u gd e a le r ’s hom e, H ut c hi ns, by hi s ow n adm i ss i on, f ul l y par t i c i pat ed i n t he bur gl ar y o f t hat ho m e a nd s t o l e t he dr ugs a nd f i r e ar m t hat w e r e t he s ubj e c to f t he a i di ng and abet t i ngc ha r g e s . Th us , H ut c hi ns ’ s p a r t i c i p a t i o n was n o tp e r i p he r a l , b utwas e s s e n tia l, to th e a d v a n c e m e n t o f th e illicita c tiv ity , s e eVi l lanu e va , 408 F. 3d atN o. 09- 50135

4 2 0 4 , a n dw a s c le a r ly“c o e x te n s iv e w ith th e co n d u c t fo rw h ic h h e w a s h e ld
a ccou n tab l e.” S eeG a rc ia , 2 42 F. 3da t5 98

- 99
. Bec aus e H ut c hi ns ’ s r o l e i n t he
o ffe n s e w a s n o t m in o r , th e d is tr ic t co u r t d id n o t cle a r ly e r r in d e n y in gh im aro le
a dju s tm e n t u n d e r§ 3 B 1 .2
. S ee V i l lanu e va , 408 F. 3d at203 & n. 9. AF F I RMED.