Opinion ID: 7208
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 26 The Defendants next challenge the sufficiency of evidence to support their guilty verdicts. When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, we view all evidence, whether circumstantial or direct, in the light most favorable to the government with all reasonable inferences and credibility choices to be made in support of the jury's verdict. United States v. Salazar, 958 F.2d 1285, 1290-91 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 185, 121 L.Ed.2d 129 (1992). The evidence is sufficient to support a conviction if a rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. The evidence need not exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence or be completely inconsistent with every conclusion except guilt, so long as a reasonable trier of fact could find that the evidence established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Faulkner, 17 F.3d 745, 768 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 193, 130 L.Ed.2d 125 (1994). 27 Margaret contends that the evidence does not show beyond reasonable doubt that she modified the gray circuit board (one of the modules given to her by the FBI agents) or that she was capable of modifying the board, and that it was more probable that others may have done the modifying either before or after the Defendants had possession of it. As an example, she argues that it would have taken 20 minutes to replace a certain chip on the gray board, and that the 30-minute time span she had the board was inadequate for her to have done this modification. Margaret also argues that the gray board did not work after she returned it, and that it was in such a bad state that it was not possible to tell whether anything had changed. She also argues that [a]ny modifications [of the black circuit board (the other module given to her by the FBI agents) ] that tended to incriminate [her], because of the partisan chain of custody, could have been performed at [a corporation] after Margaret had tested it on May 11th. 28 To the extent that the above arguments call into question whether or not Margaret manufactured or assembled an illicit device, Margaret fails to challenge the evidence in the record that she sold such a device, which is also punishable under both statutes. For example, it is uncontested that Margaret received payments for the repairs done on the modules, and there is testimony in the record that Margaret stated to FBI Agent Henry after returning a module that now you can view scrambled television programs. This testimony clearly supports a conclusion that Margaret sold a device capable of illicitly intercepting television signals. Further, Margaret's statements also indicate that the modules were in good working condition after the Defendants repaired and returned them to the FBI. 29 Edward contends that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his convictions, asserting that all of the evidence was circumstantial but for the Government's testimony of his admissions of illegal modification which, Edward explained, ceased in 1991. However, the jury was free to reject Edward's explanations of his admissions of illegal activity. It did so. The evidence is clearly sufficient to sustain his conviction.