FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P E A LS E LE V EN T HC IRC U IT JULY 07, 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H]
I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 07- 15090 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 6
- 0 0 0 7 7 - C R - F T M- 2 9
- DN F U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f
- A p p e lle e , v ersu s J A M E S L E O N A R D C A R T E R , J R ., D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( Ju l y 7, 2008) B efo re B IR C H , D U B IN A an d M A R C U S , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J a m e s L e o n a r d C a r te r , J r ., ap p e a ls f r o m h is c o n v i c tio n s f

o rp o s s e s s io n w ith the i nt entt o d i stri bu t e c ra ck cocai ne, i n v i ol at i on of 21 U .S . C . § 8 41 (a )( 1),2

( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i i ) , a nd pos s e s s i on w i th t h e i n t e ntt o di s tr i but e c oc a i ne , i n vi ol a t i on of 21 U . S . C . § 8 41 (a )( 1), (b)( 1)(C ). O n a p peal , C art erar gu es thatthe evi dence w as i ns uf f i c i e ntt o p r ov e be y on d ar e a s on a bl e do ub ttha the w a s gu i l ty of the s e of f e ns es because the t es t i m on y of tw o d et ecti v es w i th the G l ades C ou nty S heri ff’ s O ff i ce , w a s c o n tr a r y to h is o w n te s tim o n y , a n d b e c a u s e th e e v id e n c e w a s n o t s u f f ic ie n t to c onne c thi m w i th the t a n duf f l e ba g, w he r e t h e d ru g s w e r e f ound. A f

t e rc a r e f ul
r e v i e w , w e a f

f i r m. W h en , as h ere, a d efen d an t fai l s t o m o v e fo r a j u d g m en t o f acq u i tta l a f te r a ll th e e v id e n c e h a s b e e n p r e s e n te d , r e v e r s a l o f th e c o n v ic tio n is ap p r o p r ia te o n ly to pr e ve nt“ a m a ni f

e s tm i s c a r r i a ge of

j us t i c e . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B e nde r , 290 F . 3d 1279 , 1 2 8 4 ( 1 1 th Ci r . 2 0 0 2 )
. U n d e r th i s s t a n d a r d , th e e v i d e n c e o n a ke y e l e m e nt o f th e o f f e n s e m u s t b e “s o te n u o u s th a t a c o n v i c t io n w o u ld b e s h o c k in g .” I d . W e can n o trev i ew j u ry d et erm i n at i o n s as t o th e c r e d ib ility o f w i tn ess t est i m o n y u n l ess s uc h t e s t i m ony i s “ i nc r e di bl e a s a m a tt e rof l a w . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. C ha s t a i n, 198 F . 3 d 1 3 3 8 , 1 3 5 1 (1 1 th C i r. 1 9 9 9 ) (ci t at i o n o m i tt ed ). T est i m o n y i s i n cred i b l e as a m a tt e rof

l a w onl y i f

i ti s “ unbe l i e va bl e on i t s f a c e ” a nd rel at e s t o “ f

a c t s tha tthe
w i tne s s p h ysi cal l y c oul d notha ve pos s i bl y obs e r ve d ore ve nt s tha tc oul d notha ve oc c ur r e d unde rt h e l aw s o f na tur e . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. C a l de r on, 127 F . 3d 1314, 1 3 2 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 7 ) ( in te r n a l q u o ta tio n s , a lte r a tio n s a n d c ita tio n o m itte d )
.3

T h e rel ev an tfact s are th ese. A tth e tri al , M ic h a e l P ep i t o n e an d S t ev e H arri s, G lad es C ou nt y S heri ff’ s O ff i ce det ec t i ves, t es t i fi ed thatthey pul l ed ov era s i l ver C hrys l er for vi ol at i ng the F l ori da “ M ov e O ver A ct . ” D et ec t i ve P ep it o n e tes t i fi ed tha tthr e e pe opl e w e r e i n the C hr y s l e r , a nd C a r t e rw a s s e a t e d i n t h e m i ddl e of the ba c k s e a t . B oth de t e c t i ve s t e s t i fi ed t h atthe y s m e l l e d m a r i j ua na c om i ng f

r om the C hrys l er . A cc ordi ng t o D etec ti ve P epi t on e, af t erD et ec t i ve H arri s’ s c ani ne m ade a p o s i t i v e a l e r t t o t h e c a r , P e p i t o n e s e a r c h e d th e th r e e b a g s i n th e b a c k s e a t- - two w e r e s m a ll s u itc a s e s , a n d th e th ir d w a s a ta n g y m d u f f le b a g to th e r ig h t o f

C a r te r . D e te c tiv e P e p ito n e te s tif ie d th a t h e f

o u n d in th e ta n d u f

f le b a g th ir te e n s m a ll p in k
- c o lo r e d b a g g ie s th a t c o n ta in e d 5 .9 g r a m s o f c o c a in e , a h a r d c o v e rB ib le i ns c r i be d t o “ Jam es a nd R oque s a , ” a nd pe r s ona l c l othi ng. H e a l s o f ound i n the du ff l e asnea ker box l abel ed for bl ac k N i ke A i r J ordans th atcont ai ned a l ar ge cl ea r
z i p l o c b a g g ie o f

a p la te , a s m a ll m e a s u r in g s p o o n , a n d a r a z o rb la d e , a ll w ith
c o c a in e r e s id u e ; a p h a r m a c e u tic a l p ill b o t t l e o f c r a c k c o c a in e p ie c e s to ta lin g 7 .1 gram s; anot her pi l l bo tt l e w i th 1 1 g ra m s o f co ca in e; a l ar ge bagg i e of m ar i j uana; thr e e pa i r s of

s c i s s or s; t w o d i g i t a l s c a l e s ; a nd a nothe rs e tof pl a s t i c ba gs c ont a i ni ng m any s ma l l ba gs tha tdi s pl a y e d a n A pp l e i c on , w hi c h D e t e c t i ve Pe pi t on e t e s t i f i ed
a r e c o m m o n ly u s e d to p a c k a g e d ru g s . D e te c tiv e H a r r is te s tif ie d th a t w h ile D et ec t i ve P epi t on e se ar ched the du ff l e bag, H arri s ob se rved C art er pu tt i ng h is headRoquesa Whiley , Carter ’s g irlfriend, te stified that she g ave a nd inscribed to Carter the 1 Bible f ound in the car . Whil ey

did not know if the tan duff le bagbelong ed to Carter , but she n e v e r kn e wCa rter too wna ta nd u f f leb a g . Wh il e y

n e v e r s awCa rter c ar r yinga b lac k N ikeb o x. 4 do w n “ i n a ne ga t i ve mot i on ” a nd s ha ki ng hi s he a d i n a“ de f e a t e d f a s hi on , ” a nd that
n ei t h er o f

the othe rpa s s e nge r s ha d a ny phy s i c a l r e a c t i on t o the s e a r c h. D e t e c t i ve H a r r i s a l s o t e s t i f

i e d tha tC a r t e rw oul d no t c l a i m ow ne r s hi p of the t a n duf

f l e ba g. N e ith e rth e ta n d u f

f le b a g n o rth e ite m s in s id e w e r e a n a ly z e d f o rf in g e rp r in ts . B o th d e te c tiv e s a ls o te s tif ie d th a t th e y r e c a l l e d C a r te rw e a r in g N ik e A ir Jordans, bu tcoul d n otre m em ber the col or of the shoes. D et ec t i ve P epi t on e fu rther te s tif ie d th a t n e ith e ro f

th e o th e rtw o p a s s e n g e r s w e r e w e a r in g N ik e A irJ o r d a n s . C art er t e s t i f

i e d on hi s ow n be ha l f

. C a r t e r a dm i tt e d tha t the B i bl e w as h i s, butde ni e d t h at t he B i bl e w a s i ns i de the t a n duf f l e ba g, a nd de ni e d ow ne r s hi p of the t an du ff l e bag and i t s c on t ent s. A cc ordi ng t o C art er , D et ec t i ve P epi t on e s ta t ed 1 tha tthe drugs be l onge d t o C a r t e re ve n be f or e he ope ned t h e b o x i n the duf f l e ba g, a nd c ha r ge d C a r t e rw i th a l l of the drugs be c a us e C a r t e rw a s the onl y pe r s on i n the
car w h o h ad g ol d t ee th and for hi s r ef usal t o st op t al ki ng . C art eral so t es t i fi ed that the shoes he w as w ea ri ng w hen arre st ed w er e m ost l y bl ue w i th b l ac k t ri m , and t hat anot her pas se ng eri n t he ca r a l so w as w ea ri ng N i ke A i r J ordans. A ft erC art er te s tif ie d , h e r e s te d h is c a s e a n d d id n o t m o v e f o rju d g m e n t o f

a c q u itta l.5

T he go vernm entre ca l l ed D et ec t i ves P epi t on e a nd H arri s as r ebut t al
w itn e s s e s . A c c o r d i n g to D e te c tiv e P e p ito n e , th e o n ly c o n v e r s a tio n h e h a d w ith C ar ter w as at th e b eg in n in g o f th e tra ff ic sto p w h en h e r eq u es ted C ar te r ’s i dent i fi ca t i on . B ot h d et ec t i ves t es t i fi ed thatC art erw as no tt al kat i ve. I n or de rt o c onvi c ta de f en d an t o f p os s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e , the gove r nm e nt m u stpr ove be y ond a r e a s ona bl e doubttha tthe de f e nda nt ( 1) know i ngl y a nd i nt e nt i ona l l y ( 2) pos s e s s e d a c ontr ol l e d s ub s t a nc e ( 3) w i th i nt e nt t o di s tr i but e i t . 21 U . S . C . § 841( a ) ( 1) ; U n i t ed S t a t e s v. P ool e , 878 F . 2d 1389, 1391 (11th C ir. 1 98 9). T hese el em ent s m ay be prov ed by ci rc um st ant i al evi dence. P oo l e, 87 8 F . 2d at13 91 -92. “ A defe nd anthas a ctual po ss es si on of a s ub st ance w he n he ha s di r e c tphy s i c a l c ontr ol ove rthe c ontr a ba nd. ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. E d w a r d s , 1 6 6 F .3 d 1 3 6 2 , 1 3 6 3 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) . C o n s tru c tiv e p o s s e s s io n e x is ts
w he n a de f

e nda nt( 1) “ ha s know l e dge of the thi ng pos s e s s e d c oupl e d w i th the abi l i ty t o ma i nt a i n c on tr ol ov e r i t or r e du c e i t t o hi s ph y s i c a l po s s e s s i on even though he doe s notha ve act u a l pe r s ona l dom i ni on, ” or( 2) ha s “ ow ne r s hi p, dom i ni on, orc ontr ol ove rthe c ontr a b an d i t sel f ordom i ni on orc ontr ol ove rthe pr e m i s e s o r t h e v eh i c l e i n w hi c h the c ontr a ba nd w a s c onc e a l e d. ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. D e r o s e , 7 4 F .3 d 1 1 7 7 , 1 1 8 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 6 )
.6

U nde rthe s e s t a nda r ds , w e r e qui r e s om e ne xus be tw een the de f e nda nta nd th e c o n tr a b a n d , a n d a d e f e n d a n t to h a v e k n o w le d g e o f th e s u b s ta n c e ’s e x is te n c e to e xe r c i s e c ontr ol ordom i ni on ove ri t . H ol m e s v. K u cyn d a, 3 2 1 F . 3d 1069, 1080 ( 11th C i r . 2003) ( 42 U . S . C . § 1983 co n t ex t ). E vi de nc e of a “ c ons c i ous ne s s of g u i l t , ” su ch as n erv o u sn ess, i n co n si st en tst at em en t s o r st o ri es, an d an x i o u sn ess r e ga r di ng the s e a r c h, i s s uf f i c i e ntf ora j ur y t o i nf

e ra de f e nda nt ’ s k n o w l ed g e of

the
c ontr ol l e d s ubs t a nc e s f

ound i n a c a r . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. S t a nl ey, 2 4 F . 3 d 1314, 1320- 21 & n. 50 ( 11th C i r . 1994)
. M or e ove r , t o e s t a bl i s h pos s e s s i on, th e g o v ernm e nt
m u s t s h o w th a t th e d e f e n d a n t w a s mo r e th a n me r e l y p r e s e n t i n th e c a r w hi c h he k n e w c o n ta in e d c o n tr a b a n d
. U n i te d S ta te s v . L e o n a r d , 1 3 8 F .3 d 9 0 6 , 9 0 9 ( 1 1 th Ci r . 19 98 ) ( “ [ M ] e r e l y s ha r i ng a ve hi c l e i n w hi c h on e kn ow s c oc a i ne a nd a gun ar e h id d e n d o e s n o t a m o u n t to p o s s e s s io n . . . .” )
. T h e in te n t to d is tr ib u te m a y b e in f e r r e d f r o m th e a m o u n t o f

d ru g s in v o lv e d
. U ni t e d S t a t e s v. H e r na nde z , 433 F . 3d 1328, 1333 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ( c i t a t i on om i tt ed )
. I nt e ntt o di s tr i but e c a n a l s o be pr ove n c i r c um s t a nt i a l l y f r om , a m ong ot her thi ng s, the qu ant i ty of c ocai ne and exi st ence o f i m pl em ent s s uch as s ca l es c o m m o n ly u s e d in c o n n e c tio n w ith c o c a in e d is tr ib u tio n . P o o le , 8 7 8 F .2 d a t 1 3 9 2 . H er e, a r ea son ab le trie r of f ac tcoul d con cl ud e thatthe evi dence es t abl i shed be y ond a r e a s ona bl e doubttha tC a r t e rha d know i ng pos s e s s i on of the drugs i n theAlthough Ca rter te stified that his Bible wa s not in the tan duffle bagand that another 2 passeng er w as we aringAir Jordans, the testimony of De tectives Pepitone a

nd Har ris to the contra ry was not “inc redible a s a matter of law.” Cha stain, 198 F.3d at 1351. As a re sult, we cannot review the ir cre dibility . I d. 7 t an du ff l e bag. T here i s no d i spute th at drug s w er e f ou nd i n the t an du ff

l e bag. In ad d it io n , th e ju ry co u ld re as o n ab ly in f erk n o w led g e o f th e d ru g s th ro u g h C ar ter’s

“ consci ou snes s of gui l t , ” S t anl ey , 24 F . 3d at 1 3 2 0, w hen D et ec t i ve H arri s observed C a r t e rputt i ng hi s he a d dow n “ i n a n eg at i ve m ot i on” a nd s ha ki ng hi s he a d i n a

“ defe at ed fa shi on , ” w hi l e D et ec t i ve P epi t on e s ea rc hed t he tan d u ffl e bag. F urther, C a r t e re xe r c i s e d dom i ni on a nd c ontr ol of the t an d u ffl e b ag, a s hi s B i bl e w a s i n the b a g , a n d h e w a s w e a r in g th e s a m e b r a n d o f s h o e a s s h o w n o n th e s h o e b o x f o u n d in the ba g. T hus , unl i ke L e ona r d, 138 F . 3d a t907- 09, w he r e thi s C our the l d tha tthe

2 j ury c ou l d n othave i nferre d t hatL eonard kn ew the cocai ne and g un w er e i n t he ca r o r th ath e ev er h ad o w n ers h ip , d o m i n i o n , o r co n tro l o v er th em , th e j u ry i n th i s case c ons i de r e d m uc h m or e tha n C a r t e r ’ s m e r e g u i l tby a s s oc i a t i on. A c c or di ngl y , the g o v e r n m e n t’s e v id e n c e w a s s u f f ic ie n t to s u p p o r t a c o n c lu s io n th a t th e ta n d u f f le bag and the i t em s i nsi de bel on ged t o C art er . T he j ury c ou l d a l s o r e a s on a bl y i nf e r i nt e nt t o di s tr i bu t e c oc a i ne a nd cr ac k
c oc a i ne f

r om the a m ountof

drugs s e i z e d, a l ong w i th the i m pl e m e nt s i nc l udi ng di gi t al sc al es , ra zor bl ades , a m ea suri ng spoo n, a p la t e, and b ags di spl ay i ng an A pp l e i con, foun d i n the t an du ff l e bag. H ernand ez , 4 3 3 F .3 d at 13 37 ; U ni t edIndeed, in United States v. Robinson, 870 F.2d 612, 613 ( 11th Cir. 1989), this C ourt 3 he ld t hat c rac k c oc ainerepre sente d a morepo tent f

or m of thedr ugand there fo re , a

jur y c ould infer intent to distribute from a lesser qua

ntity than it would for coc aine of fense s. 8 S t a t e s v. W i l s on, 183 F . 3d 129 1 , 1 299 ( 11th C i r . 1999) ; P ool e , 878 F . 2d a t1392. M or e ove r , i n l i ghtof

the drug di s tr i but i on- r e l a t e d i m pl e m ent s a nd the a m ountof d ru g s - - 1 6 .9 g r a m s o f

c o c a in e a n d 7 .1 g r a m s o f c r a c k c o c a in e - - f

o u n d h e r e , th is
ca se i s di st i ng ui shabl e f rom T urner v. U ni t ed S t at es , 39 6 U .S . 3 98 , 42 3 (19 70 ),
w he r e the S upr e m e C our tr e ve r s e d T ur ne r ’ s c onvi c t i ons f orpos sessi o n w i th i nt e nt t o di s tr i b u t e c oc a i ne w he r e the de f e nda ntonl y ha d “ 14. 68 gr a m s of a c oc a i ne a nd
s u g a rm ix tu r e .” T h u s , th e e v id e n c e h e r e w a s s u f f ic ie n t to p r o v e in te n t to 3 d is tr ib u te b o th c o c a in e a n d c r a c k c o c a in e . In sh o rt , C art er, w h o fai l ed t o m o v e fo r a j u d g m en to f acq u i tt al a t th e cl o se of al l of the evi dence, has notdem on stra ted thatthe evi dence re l at i ng t o a key
e l e m e ntof

e i the rc ha r ge d of

f e ns e w a s s o t e nuous tha thi s c onvi ct i o n w oul d be consi dere d sho cki ng . B en d er , 2 9 0 F . 3d at12 84 . F or these re as on s, w e a ff i rm C art er’ s co n v i ct i o n s. AF F I RME D.