FI L ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T DEC 27, 2010 J OHN L EY CL ERK [PUBLISH] IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

No. 0 9- 15 99 9
D. C. Dock etNo. 0 9- 00 13 3 C R-WEH-TMP UNITED STAT ES OF AMERIC A, Pla in ti ff-Ap pe ll ee,
ve rs us LONZEL L DEMETRIC GOW DY, a.k .a. Alo nz o S m it h, a.k .a. Zell , a.k .a. Zo, Defen da nt -Ap pe ll an t.

App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt fo r th e North ern Dis tri ctof Al ab am a (Dece m be r 27 , 20 10 ) Befo re DUBINA, Ch ie f Ju dg e, ANDERSON, Circ ui t J ud ge , andMOODY, * Dis tri ctJu dg e.
Honora ble J ames S. M o o dy , J r., United States District J udg e for the Middle District of * Florida , sitti ngby

desig nation.DUBINA, Ch ie f Ju dg e:

App el la ntLon zel l Dem etric Gowdy ap pe al s h is co nv ic ti on for esc ap in g fro m fed eral cu st od y

in vi ol at io n o f 18 U.S.C. § 7 51 (a). Go wdy con te nd s tha t h is fai lu re t o turn h im se lf i n fo ll owi ng hi s m is ta ke n re le as e fro m Alab am a st at e
cu st od y was n otanesc ap e fro m

cu st od y , as re qu ire d b y

§ 7 51 (a), b ecau se he was
no t i n fe de ral cu st od y . W e d is ag ree a ndaffi rm hi s co nv ic ti on . I. Gowd y was i n t he cu st od y

of t he Sta te of M is si ss ip pi , bu t was tra ns po rte d, pu rs ua ntto a writof h ab eas co rp us , to th e North ern Dis tri ctof Al ab am a, whe re t he fed eral di st ric t co urt co nv ic te d a ndsen te nc edhi m on fed eral dru g c ha rg es . The North ern Dis tri ctof Al ab am a returne d Go wdy to t he cu st od y of t he Sta te of Mi ss is si pp i wi th a fed eral de ta in er ag ai ns t h im . The St at e o f Mi ss is si pp i re cei ve d th e fed eral de ta in er, b utth enlo stitan d re le as edGowdy on a de ta in er i ss ue d b y th e St at e o f Alaba m a b ecau se of p en di ng ch arg es in th atst at e. The S ta te of Alab am a n ev er re cei ve d t he fed eral de ta in er an d re le as edGowdy aft er h e se rv ed hi s Al ab am a se nt en ce. The pa rti es st ip ul at edth atbu t fo r th e fac t t ha t t he Sta te of Mi ss is si pp i l os t t he fed eral de ta in er, the Sta te of Al ab am a wou ldha ve returne d Gowd y to fed eral au th or it ie s fo ll owi ng th e ex pi rat io n o f hi s Al ab am a se nt en ce.

2Onc e fed eral off ic ia ls real iz edth e m is ta ke , a be nc h warran t was is su edfor Gowd y ’s arres t. Walte r Sh ip p, t he Uni te d S ta te s Dep ut y Mars ha l as si gn edto th e
cas e, co nt act edGowd y , in fo rm edhi m th athe st il l o wedti m e o n h is fed eral
co nv ic ti on , andin st ru ct edhi m to rep ort t o B irming ha m , Alab am a, to co m m en ce
se rv in g h is fed eral sen te nc e. Gowd y ag reed , bu t i nd ic at edth athe ne ed edto m ak e
arra ng em en ts forhi s m in ordaug ht er, wh o was in hi s cu st od y . Gowdy di d n ottu rn hi m se lf i n a s p ro m is ed , bu t i ns te adlef t Al ab am a fo r Mi ss is si pp i. Sev eral m on th s la te r, Sh ip p d is co ve redGowd y ’s wher eab ou ts an d a rres te d Go wdy. II . A gra ndjury in di ct edGowdy on on e co un t o f es cap in g fe de ral cu st od y in vi ol at io n o f 18 U.S.C. § 7 51 (a). At t ria l, Go wdy didno t p uton a de fen se , bu t arg ue d i n m ot io ns bro ug htpu rs ua ntto Fed eral Ru le of C riminal Pro cedur e 2 9 t ha t he was n ev er i n fe de ral cu st od y an d t he refo re co ul d n otbe co nv ic te d u nd er § 75 1( a). The go ve rn m en t ar gu edth athe was i n c on st ru ct iv e cu st ody by virtue of hi s fe de ral dru g c on vi ct io n. Th e d is tri ctco urt d en ie d t he m ot io ns an d s en t t he
cas e to th e jury, whi ch fou ndGowdy gu il ty. Gowdy

th enfil edan ot he r m ot io n fo r acqui tt al , whi chth e d is tri ctco urt al so de ni ed
. Gowd y ap pe al s h is co nv ic ti on an d a rg ue s t ha t t hr ou gh ou t h is st at e cu st od y , un ti l an d a fte r hi s re le as e, he was n otinfed eral cu st od y un de r § 7 51 (a). Go wdy
3co nt en ds th atth e g ov ern m en t fa il edto pro ve th athe was i n a ny cus to dy oth er t ha n

th atof t he Sta te of M is si ss ip pi an d t he n t he Sta te of Al ab am a. Acco rd in gl y , he reque st s t ha t h is co nv ic ti on be rev ers ed
. II I. W e rev ie w th e su ffi ci en cy of t he ev id en ce de no vo , vi ewin g t he ev id en ce
an d a ll reas on ab le in fere nc es in fav orof t he go ve rn m en t an d t he jury’ s v erd ic t. Uni te d Sta te s v. Ga rc ia , 40 5 F .3d12 60 , 12 69 (11 th Cir . 20 05 ). A con vi ct io n m us t be affi rm edun le ss , un de r no reas on ab le co ns tru ct io n o f th e ev id en ce, co ul d t he jury hav e fo un d the ap pe ll an t g ui lt y be y on d areas on ab le do ub t. Id
. Sect io n 7 51 (a) p ro vi de s i n re le va ntpa rt: Who ev er es cap es or a tt em pt s t o e sc ap e fro m

th e cu st ody

of the Att orne y Gene ral or h is au th or iz edrep res en ta ti ve , or fr om an y in st itut io n o r fac il it y

in whi ch he is co nf

in edby dire ct io n o f th e Att orne y Gene ral , or fr om

an y cu st od y un de r orby virtue of a ny pr oc es s i ss ue d u nd er t he laws of t he Uni te d S ta te s b y an y co urt, jud ge , or m ag is tra te jud ge , or fr om th e cu st ody

of a n o ffi cer o r em pl oyee of th e Uni te d S ta te s p ur su an t t o l awfu l arres t, s ha ll , if t he cu st ody or c on fin em en t i s b y

vi rtu e o f an arre ston a ch arg e o f fel on y , orco nv ic ti onof a ny offen se , be f in edun de r th is ti tl e o r im pr is on ed no t m or e th anfiv e y ears , or b ot h . . . .
18 U.S.C. § 7 51 (a) (1 99 4) . Thu s, i n o rd er t o e st ab li sh th e cu st od ia l el em en t o f th e of fen se , th e g ov ern m en t m

us t d em on st rat e th aton e o f th e fo ll owi ng was t ru e o f th e d efen da ntat t he ti m e o f hi s es cap e: (1) he was i n t he cu st od y of the Att orne y 4Gen eral or a n aut ho riz edrep res en ta ti ve ; (2 ) he was c on fin edin anin st itut io n b y

di rect io n o f th e Att orne y

Gene ral ; (3 ) he was i n c us to dy un de r orby virtue of a ny pr oc es s i ss ue d u nd er t he laws of t he Uni te d S ta te s b y an y co urt o r jud ge or
m ag is tra te jud ge ; o r (4 ) he was i n t he cu st od y of an o ffi cer o r em

pl oyee of th e Uni te d S ta te s p ur su an t t o alawf ul arre st . Se e Uni te d Sta te s v. Eva ns , 15 9 F .3d 90 8, 9 10 (4t h C ir. 1 99 8) . As ot he r ci rcu it s h av e rec og ni zed , cus to dy do es no t requi re “ di rectph y si cal res tra in t” an d m ay be “ m in im al ” o r “ co ns tru ct iv e.” Uni te d St at es v. Depe w , 97 7 F .2d14 12 , 14 14 (10 th Cir . 19 92 ) (ci ti ng Uni te d Sta te s v. Kel le r , 91 2 F .2d10 58 , 10 59 (9t h C ir. 1 99 0) , and Uni te d Sta te s v. Clu ck , 54 2 F .2d 72 8, 7 31 (8t h C ir. 1 97 6) ). IV. The Supr em e Co urt p rev io us ly dis cu ss ed§ 7 51 (a)’s b ro adsco pe in th e
co nt ex t o f se nt en ci ng un de r th e Arm edCare er Cr im in al Act (AC CA) an d
reco gn iz edth atde fen da nt s ar e co nv ic te d u nd er § 75 1( a) fo r cri m es ran gi ng fro m vi ol en t jai lb reak s t o n on -v io le ntwalk aways to fai lu res to rep ort fo r in carc erat io n
orreturn t o c us to dy. Se e Ch amb er s v. Un it ed

St at es , 55 5 U.S. 1 22 , 12 9 S . Ct. 6 87 (2 00 9) . In Ch amb er

s , th e Supr em e Co urt d et erm in edth ata co nv ic ti on un de r an Ill in oi s es cap e st atut e fo r fai lu re t o re po rt d idno t qua li fy as acri m e o f vi ol en ce
un de r th e ACCA. Id . at _ _, 1 29 S. Ct. at69 3. In reac hi ng it s co nc lu si on , th e

5Co urt re li edhe av il y on a Uni te d S ta te s Se nt en ci ng Co m m is si onRep ort o n F ed eral Escape Offen se s i n F is cal Years 20 06 an d 2 00 7. Id . at _ _, 1 29 S. Ct. at69 2. Th e rep ort an al y zedsen te nc es un de r U.S. Sen te nc in g Gu id el in e Ma nu al (USSG) § 2P 1.1 , th e se ct io n app li cab le to fed eral esc ap e cri m es , andno te d t ha t dur in g 2 00 6
an d 2 00 7, n earl y

40 % of a ll co nv ic ti on s s en te nc edun de r USSG § 2P 1.1 in vo lv ed fai lu res to rep ort o r return, an d m or e th an40 % in vo lv edlea vi ng no n- se cu re
cu st od y , whi le on ly 15% i nv ol ve d l eav in g s ecu re cu st od y . Id . at _ _, 1 29 S. Ct. at 69 3 & ap p. B. Se e a ls o Un it ed St at es v. Har t , 57 8 F .3d67 4, 6 81 (7t h C ir. 2 00 9) (“ [O]ne can co m

m it‘ es cap e’ un de r th e fed eral st atut e si m pl y by stayin g h om e o n th e d ay on e is supp os edto su rren de r.”). Lik ewis e, ou r si st er ci rcu it s h av e uph el d c on vi ct io ns un de r th e st atut e fo r cri m es in vo lv in g m an y

cir cu m st an ces be y on d t he jail br eaksce na rio
. See e.g., Uni te d Sta te s v. S

ac k, 37 9 F .3d11 77 , 11 81 (10 th Cir . 20 04 ) (fai lu re t o re tu rnto ha lfwa y ho us e); Depe w , 97 7 F .2dat 1 41 4 (e sc ap e whi le tra ns po rte d o n wri t t o st at e ci rcu itco urt); Uni te d Sta te s v. K el le r , 91 2 F .2d10 58 , 10 59 –6 0 (9 th Cir
. 19 90 ) (fai lu re t o re po rt t o b eg in sen te nc e); Uni te d Sta tes v. C ha pma n , 45 5 F .2d 74 6, 7 49 –5 0 (5 th Cir . 19 72 ) (fai lu re t o re tu rnfol lo win g a“ fo rced ” jail br eak ); Der en go ws kiv. Uni te d Sta tes , 40 4 F .2d77 8, 7 81 –8 2 (8 th Cir . 19 68 ) (es cap e fro m st at e fac il it y

whi le at f

aci li ty on fe de ral writ ). The co m m onth em e in th es e cas es is
6th e u nd erl y in g p ur po se of § 75 1( a) t o p ro te ctth e p ub li c fro m th e d an ge r as so ci at ed wit h fe de ral cri m in al s re m ai ni ng at l arg e. Giv enth e st atut e’s br oa d p ur po se , th is
co urt wi ll no t i ndul ge Gowd y ’s narro w read in g o f th e st atut e an d wi ll in st ead
as si gn itit s p la in m ean in g. Acco rd in gl y , we ho ldth atth e cu st od ia l re qu ire m en t o f § 7 51 (a) i s s at is fie d wh ere alawf ul jud gm en t o f co nv ic ti on ha s b een is su edby a
co urt ag ai ns t t he de fen da nt . Tak enin th e li gh t m os t fa vo rab le to th e g ov ern m en t, we co nc lu de th atth e
ev id en ce s up po rts Gowd y ’s con vi ct io n u nd er 1 8 U.S.C. § 75 1( a) b as edon hi s be in g i n c us to dy at th e ti m e o f hi s es cap e b y vi rtu e o f a p ro ces s i ss ue d u nd er t he la ws o f th e Uni te d S ta te s b y a fed eral di st ric t co urt. The reco rdev id en ce de m on st rat es th atGowd y was c on st ru ct iv el y

in fed eral cu st od y

pu rs ua ntto a 20 05 jud gm en t o f co nv ic ti onen te redby the di st ric t co urt i n t he Nort he rnDis tri ctof Alab am a. Becaus e th ere i s n o a dd it io na l re qu ire m en t tha t t he de fen da ntbe ph y si cal ly con fin edin anin st itut io n a t t he ti m e o f th e es cap e, we co nc lu de th atth e
reco rdful ly sup po rts Gowd y ’s con vi ct io n fo r es cap e u nd er § 75 1( a). AFFIRMED.

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