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 and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc 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). 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. PASC UA L F RANCI SC O- PASC UA L, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 11- 50037 D . C . N o. 3: 09 -c r- 04 15 1-W -1 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 o rth e S o u th e rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia T hom a s J . W he l a n, S e ni orD i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng

S ubm i tt e d F e brua ry8, 2012 ** P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: D . W . N E L S O N , O ’ S C A N N L A IN , an dN . R . S M IT H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P as cual F ranci sc o-P as cual (F ranci sc o) appeal s hi s j ury c on vi ct i on for i l l egal r e e ntryi nt o the U ni t e d S t a t e s i n vi ol a t i on of 8 U . S . C . § 1326. W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on u n d e r2 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 , a n d w e a f f i rm. 

# FI LED FEB 14 2 012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

G e n e r a lly , “ad e f

e n d a n t is e n title dto h is p r o p o s e din s tru c tio n e v e n if h is e v id e n c e is w e a k , in s u f

f ic ie n t, in c o n s is te n t, o ro f d o u b tf u l c r e d ib ility .” U

ni ted S ta tes v. Esp i n o za -B a za , 647 F . 3d 1182, 1191 ( 9th C i r . 2011) ( i nt e rna l quot a t i on m arks om i tt ed). B utw hi l e thi s s t andard i s “ som ew hatgenerous, ” the “ tri al re cord m us ts t i l l c ont a i n e vi de nc e upon w hi c h the j uryc oul d r a t i ona l l yf i nd f orthe d e f e n d a n t.” I

d. ( i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a rks om i tt e d) . T hus , ade f e nda ntm us tpr e s e nt s o m e th in g m o r e th a n am e r e “s c in tillao f e v id e n c e ” o f

n a tio n a l s ta tu s “to w a rr a n t a defe nse i nstruct i on on thattheory. ” Se e i d. ; U n ite d S ta tes v . So te lo , 109 F . 3d 1446, 1 4 4 8 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 7 ) .

“ A l l c i t i z e n s o f

th e U n i t e d St a t e s a r e a l s o n a t i o n a l s . H o w e v e r , s o me nat i on al s are no tci t i ze ns. ” P e rdo m o - P a d illa v . A s h c r o ft , 3 3 3 F .3 d9 6 4 , 9 6 7 ( 9 th C i r. 20 03 ). W e have hel d that“ a per son can becom e a‘ nat i on al of the U ni t ed S t at es ’ . . . on l y throu gh bi rth o r natural i za t i on . ” I d. a t 9 7 2 . T o d a y , “th e o n ly r e m a i ni ng nonc i t i z e n na t i ona l s a r e r e s i de nt s of A m e r i c a n S a m oaa nd S w a i ns Is l and. ” I

d. a t967 ( quot i ng Mi l le rv . A lbr i ght , 523 U . S . 420, 467 n. 2 ( 1998) ( G in s b u r g , J ., d is s e n tin g ) ) . H e r e , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt d idn o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n b yf o llo w in g th e N in th C i rc ui tM od el JuryInstruct i on s and re j ec t i ng F ranci sc o’ s r equest ed j ury i nstruct i on , because F ranci sc o d i d n otpres enteven a m er e “ sc i nt i l l a of e vi dence”3

o f h is s ta tu s a s an a tio n a l o f th e U n ite dS ta te s . F r a n c is c o w a s b o rn in M e x ic o . T hus , F r a nc i s c o c oul d notha ve be c om e ana t i ona l of the U ni t e d S t a t e s thr ough b i rth , b ecau se h e w as n o tb o rn as a ci t i zen n at i o n al i n th e U n i t ed S t at es o r as a nonc i t i z e n na t i ona l i n A m e r i c a n S a m oaorS w a i ns I s l a nd. A l s o, F r a nc i s c o di d not of f e ra nye vi de nc e tha the w a s ana t i ona l of the U ni t e d S t a t e s thr ough na tur a l i z a t i on. F r a nc i s c o’ s r e que s t e d i ns truc t i on, a s the di s tr i c tc ourtde t e rm i ne d, there fore l ac ked a fac tual foun dat i on i n the evi dence. P utotherw i se , “ no j ury coul d h ave f

ou nd [F ranci sc o] t o b e anat i on al . ” Se e So te lo , 1 0 9 F .3 da t 1 4 4 8 . AF F I RME D.