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 notpr e c e de nt * e 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 ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2).

Th e H o n o r ab l e Ri c h a r d D . Cu d a h y , Se n i o rCi r c u i tJ u d g e f o rth e U . S. *** C our tof A ppe a l s f

orthe S e ve nth C i r c ui t , 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 FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T 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. RUBE N PER EZ - CR UZ, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 12- 10075 D . C. N o . 2 : 1 0 - c r - 0 0 5 7 5 - J CM - V CF 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 orthe D i s tr i c tof

N e va da J a m e s C . M a ha n, D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d D e c e m be r3, 2012 * * S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B e f o r e : C UD AH Y, T R O T T , an d R A W L IN S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. *** 

# FI LED MA R 12 2013 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

W e w r ite p r im a r ily f

o rth e p a r tie s w h o a r e f

a m ilia rw ith th e u n d e r ly in g f a c ts . D e f e nda ntR ube n P e r e z - C ruz w a s c ha r ge d w i th vi ol a t i ng 21 U . S . C . §§ 841 a nd 846 f orc ons pi r i ng t o di s tr i but e m e tha m phe t a m i ne . A ttr i a l , P e r e z - C ruz m ove d f or a ju d g m e n t o f

a c q u itta l p u r s u a n t to F e d e r a l R u le o f C r im in a l P r o c e d u r e 2 9 ( a ) . T he di s tr i c tc our tde ni e d the m ot i on. P e r e z - C ruz di d notr e ne w hi s m ot i on a tthe cl ose of a l l of the evi dence. T he j ury c on cl ud ed beyond a r ea sonabl e dou btthat P e r e z - C ru z p a rtic ip a te d in th e c o n s p ir a c y . P er ez -C ruz app ea l s the deni al of hi s m ot i on for j ud gm entof ac qu i tt al base d o n th e in s u f

f ic ie n c y o f

th e e v id e n c e to s u p p o r t h is c o n v ic tio n . T hi s c ou rtre vi ew s def

endant ’ s unrenew ed m ot i on for j ud gm entof ac qu i tt al at th e c lo s e o f

e v id e n c e f

o rp la in e rr o r . U

n ite d S ta te s v . A lv a r ez - V

a le n z u e la , 231 F . 3d 11 98 , 12 00 -01 (9t h C i r. 20 00 ). T o e s t abl i s h a drug c ons pi r a c y , the gove rnm e ntm us ts how : “ ‘ 1) a n a gr e e m e nt t o a c c om pl i s h a n i l l e ga l obj e c t i ve ; a nd 2) the i nt e ntt o c om m i tthe unde r l y i ng offe nse. ’ ” U

n ite d S ta te s v . Min c o

ff , 574 F . 3d 1186, 1192 ( 9th C i r . 2009) ( quot i ng U ni t e d Stat e s v . B ar r agan , 26 3 F . 3d 91 9, 92 2 (9t h C i r. 20 01 )) . C i rc um st ant i al evi dence s ho w i ng that“ defe nd ant s a ct ed t og ether i n p ursui tof a c om m on i l l egal g o a l” m a y p r o v e th e e x is te n c e o f a c o n s p ir a c y . I

d . ( i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a r ks o m itte d ) . T h e c o n n e c tio n o f th e d e f e n d a n t to th e c o n s p ir a c y m a y b e o n ly s lig h t,3

butthe r e m us tbe s uf

f i c i e nte vi de nc e t o e s t abl i s h tha tc onne c t i on be y ond a r e a s o n ab le d o u b t. U

ni t e d Stat e s v . B at i m ana , 62 3 F . 2d 13 66 , 13 68 (9th C i r. 1 9 8 0 ) . T he r e l e va ntf

a c t or s t o de t e r m i ne the s uf f i c i e nc y of

e vi de nc e tha ta de f

e nda nt conspi re d b y per form i ng coun t er -s urvei l l ance ar e: (1) w hether the defendantac t ed a s a l ook- outdur i ng hi gh- r i s k poi nt s of the drug de a l ; ( 2) w he the rthe de f e nda nt w as pres entdu ri ng the drug deal thatpo l i ce m on i t ored; (3) w hether the evi dence s how e d tha tpa r t i c ul a robj e c t s , pe r s ons ora c t i vi t i e s w e r e the s ubj e c tof the de f e nda nt ’ s c ount e r - s ur ve i l l a nc e ; a nd ( 4) w he the rthe de f e nda nta tt e m pt e d t o e va de a rr e s t. U ni t ed Stat es v. Moreno-Fl ores , 33 F . 3d 11 64 , 11 71 -72 (9t h C i r. 19 94 ). B as ed on the Moreno-Fl ores fa ct ors, the evi dence i n thi s c as e dem on stra t es that P er ez -C ruz part i ci pat ed i n a conspi ra cy t o sel l m etham ph et am i ne. F i rs t , P er ez C ruz a c t e d a s a l ookoutdur i ng the hi gh- r i s k pe r i od of the drug de a l . S e c ond, of f i c e r s m oni t or e d both the m e e t i ng a tthe T r opi c a na H ot e l a nd the F a s hi on S how M a l l , a nd P e r e z - C ruz w a s pr e s e nta tboth. T hi r d, pa r t i c ul a robj e c t s , pe r s ons or a c t i vi t i e s w e r e the s ubj e c tof the de f e nda nt ’ s c ount e r - s ur ve i l l a nc e ; P e r e z - C ruz a lw a y s k e p t e y e s o n th e w h ite v a n , in c lu d in g d o in g a U - tu rn to s ta y n e a rb y . F o u r th , P e r e z - C ru z a tt e m p t e d t o e v a d e a rr e s tb y s p e e d i n g a wa y i n th e B MW . He di d nots t op unt i l ba c ke d up tr a f f i c l e f thi m no c hoi c e butt o s t op. A l though4

de f e nda ntt e s t i f

i e d tha the c oul d nots e e orhe a rthe l i ght s a nd s i r e n, thi s i s not cr edi bl e. T he di s tr i c tc our tc orr e c t l y c onc l ude d tha tthe e vi de nc e pr ove d be y ond a r e a s onabl e doubttha tP e r e z - C ruz pa r t i c i pa t e d i n the c ons pi r a c y . T he r e w a s no e rr ors o pl a i n tha ta j udge w oul d ha ve gr a nt e d a c qui tt a l a tthe c l os e of a l l the evi dence s u a s

p o n te . A F F I R M E D .U

. S. v. Pe r ez- Cr uz , C as e N o. 12- 10075 R aw l i n s on , C i r c u i t Ju d ge , c on c u r r i n g: I c o n c u rin th e r e s u lt. 

# FI LED MA R 12 2013 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS