FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT D e c e m be r 27, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ 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

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________________________ D. C. Do c k e tNo . 0 4 - 1 4 0 5 6 - CR - DLG 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 H U G H P . M A R T I N , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

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B efo re D U B IN A , C A RN E S an d H U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:T h e d istr ic t co u rt in itia lly d e n ie d th e R u le 2 9 m o tio n , b u t af te r c lo sin g a rg u m e n ts it su a sp o n te 1 r es erved i t s ru l i n g on t h e m ot i on as t o th e i ss u e of th e qu ant i tyof

th e m eth am p h et am i n e M art i n i n t end ed t o manuf a c tur e . A l tho ug h the di s tr i c tc o ur tne v e rmade a n e xpl i c i trul i ng , the pa r t i e s ’ a g r e e m e nttha tthe ju ryd id n o t n ee d to d eterm in e th e in ten d ed q u an ti tyof m eth am p h etam in e e ffec ti v elym ad e th e n ee d for a ru li n g m o o t. 2 O n O c t obe r14, 2004, H ugh P . M a r t i n w a s i ndi c t e d f orone c ountof pos s e s s i on of

ps e udoe phe dr i ne w i th i nt e ntt o m a nuf a c tur e f i ve orm or e gr a m s of m e th a m p h e t a m i n e i n v i o l a t i o n o f 2 1 U. S . C . § 8 4 1 ( c ) ( 1 ) a n d 1 8 U. S . C . § 2 . He p r o c e e d e d to aju ry tr ia l, a n d a f te rth e G o v e rn m e n t p r e s e n te d a ll o f th e e v id e n c e in its c a s e - in - c h ie f

, m o v e d f

o raju 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 . R . C iv . P . 2 9 . M a r tin c o n te n d e d th a t th e G o v e rn m e n t h a d f a ile d to p r o d u c e s u f

f ic ie n t e v id e n c e to pr ove tha the ha d i nt e ntt o m a nuf a c tur e m e tha m phe t a m i ne a nd tha the ha d the abi l i ty t o m anufacture m ore than fi ve gram s of the drug . T he di stri ctcourtdeni ed the m ot i on , and the j ury l at erfoun d h i m gu i l ty. O n A pri l 8, 20 05 , the di stri ct

1 c our ts e nt e nc e d M a r t i n t o tw e nty - f ourm onths i m pr i s onm e nta nd thr e e y e a r s of supervi se d rel ea se . O n app ea l , he cont ends thatbecause the evi dence w as i nsuffi ci entfor are as on abl e j ury t o fi nd thathe had i nt entt o m anufacture m e tha m phe t a m i ne , the di s tr i c tc our te rr e d i n de ny i ng hi s m ot i on f orj udgm e ntof a c q u itta l. W e r e v ie w th e s u f

f ic ie n c y o f

th e e v id e n c e d e n o v o , v ie w in g th e e v id e n c e in the l i ghtm os tf

a vor abl e t o the G ove rnm e nt . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. G a r c i a , 405 F . 3d 1 2 6 0 , 1 2 6 9 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . W e m a k e a ll r e a s o n ab le in f e r e n c e s a n d c r e d ib ility3

choi ce s i n favor of the G ov ernm entand the j ury’ s ver di ct . Id. W e m ustaf fi rm M a r t i n’ s c onvi c t i on unl e s s the j ury c oul d notha ve f ound hi m gui l ty be y ond a r e a s onabl e doubtunde ra ny r e a s onabl e c ons truc t i on of the e vi de nc e . S e e i d. N i c hol a s K e nt , as pe c i a l a ge ntw i th the D rug E nf or c e m e ntA dm i ni s tr a t i on, t e s t i f i e d tha tdur i ng as e a r c h of M a r t i n’ s ve hi c l e he f

ound: thr e e pa c ka ge s of ps e udoe phe dr i ne - ba s e d c ol d ors i nus m e di c a t i on; ac oi l e d pi e c e of tubi ng; abox of m a t c he s ; ac a r dboa r d box l abe l e d hy dr oc hl or i c a c i d; a l um i num f oi l ; rubbi ng a l c ohol ; a nd ac ha nde l i e r - ty pe bul b w i th a n e m pty c e nt e ra nd as tr a w s t i c ki ng thr ough i t , w i th burne d r e s i due on the i ns i de of the gl a s s a nd pow de ry r e s i due on the i ns i de of

the s tr a w . K e ntt e s t i f

i e d tha tM a r t i n t ol d hi m tha the ha d boughtthe ps e udoe phe dr i ne - ba s e d m e di c a t i on “ f orthe c ook t o us e i n m a ki ng m etham ph et am i ne. ” K e n t te s tif

ie d th a t d u r in g as u b s e q u e n t s e a r c h o f th e h o m e o f

ath ir d p a r ty w he r e M a r t i n w a s r e s i di ng he f ound: m ur i a t i c a c i d, w hi c h i s a nothe rty pe of hy dr oc hl or i c a c i d; hy dr oge n pe r oxi de ; a nd R e d D e vi l l y e . H e t e s t i f i e d tha the foun d sever al heavi l y burned i t em s, i ncl ud i ng : m at chbo ok s w i th m i ss i ng stri ker pl at es ; re m nant s of s i x “ bl i st erpacks, ” w hi ch aton e t i m e c on t ai ned ps e udoe phe dr i ne - ba s e d pi l l s ; ar ol l of a l um i num f

oi l ; a nd am a s on j a r . K e nt te s tif ie d th a t th e ite m s h e f

o u n d in M a r tin ’s v e h ic le a n d a t h is r e s id e n c e a r e u s e d in4

th e m a n u f

a c tu r e o f m e th a m p h e ta m in e . K e nt ’ s t e s t i m ony tha tM a r t i n ha d a dm i tt e d t o pur c ha s i ng the pseudo ephedri ne-bas ed m edi ca t i on for use i n m aki ng m etham ph et am i ne, t og ether w i th the t ot a l i ty of

the i t e m s f

ound i n M a r t i n’ s ve hi c l e a nd a thi s r e s i de nc e , a nd the ev id en ce o f th eir u se in th e m an u fa ctu re o f m eth am p h etam in e s u p p o rt th e ju ry ’s f i ndi ng tha tM a r t i n i nt e nde d t o e i the rpe r s ona l l y m a nuf a c tur e ora i d a nothe ri n the m anufacture of m etham ph et am i ne. A cc ordi ng l y, the evi dence w as suff i ci entfor a ju ry to c o n v ic t M a r tin o f p o s s e s s io n o f

p s e u d o e p h e d r in e w ith th e in te n t to m a n u f a c tu r e m e th a m p h e ta m in e . AF F I R ME D.