Opinion ID: 796361
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Judon's Motion for Judgment of Acquittal

Text: 14 Judon contends that the evidence was insufficient to support his conspiracy conviction. We review a district court's denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal de novo. United States v. Peters, 462 F.3d 953, 957 (8th Cir.2006). When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conspiracy conviction, we will affirm if the record, viewed most favorably to the government, contains substantial evidence supporting the jury's verdict, which means evidence sufficient to prove the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Lopez, 443 F.3d 1026, 1030 (8th Cir.2006) (en banc), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 127 S.Ct. 214, ___ L.Ed.2d ___ (2006). To prove a conspiracy under 21 U.S.C. § 846, the Government must show that the defendant (1) had an agreement to achieve an illegal purpose, (2) knew of the agreement, and (3) knowingly became part of the agreement. United States v. Winston, 456 F.3d 861, 866 (8th Cir.2006). Direct evidence of an explicit agreement is not necessary to prove a conspiracy; instead, a tacit understanding among coconspirators may be, and often will be, inferred from circumstantial evidence. Id. (internal quotation omitted). Indeed, conspiracies seldom lend themselves to proof by direct evidence. United States v. Hoelscher, 914 F.2d 1527, 1533 (8th Cir.1990). Judon asserts that the evidence at trial was insufficient to establish that an agreement to achieve an illegal purpose existed. 15 The Government presented sufficient direct and circumstantial evidence to establish the existence of an agreement between Judon and Ross. Davis Jr. testified that on one occasion when he contacted Ross by telephone to buy cocaine, Ross directed him to purchase it from Judon. On another occasion, Davis Jr. sought to purchase $200 worth of crack cocaine from Ross. Ross sold Davis Jr. nine rocks of crack cocaine for $180 and instructed Davis Jr. to purchase a tenth rock from Judon for $20, which he did. Davis Sr. testified that both Ross and Judon were present at three of the four controlled purchases that he made. At one of those buys, Davis Sr. purchased five rocks of crack cocaine from Ross for $100, two of which Judon provided. When viewed in a light most favorable to the verdict, the Davises' testimony shows that Judon and Ross had, at a minimum, a tacit agreement to distribute crack cocaine. This evidence is therefore sufficient for a reasonable jury to have concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that an agreement existed between Ross and Judon to distribute cocaine. 16