Opinion ID: 727244
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: parker's motion for acquittal following government's opening statement

Text: 15 When the government concluded its opening statement in the District Court, defendant Parker moved for acquittal on Count 12, which charged him with the use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Parker's motion was based upon the fact that, in its opening statement, the government did not mention specifically any facts underlying that particular count. 16 This issue is a matter of first impression for this circuit; fortunately, its novelty is not matched by any degree of complexity. We agree with the First Circuit that a district court's denial of defendant's motion for acquittal following the government's opening statement is not reviewable. See United States v. Ingraldi, 793 F.2d 408, 414 (1st Cir.1986). 17 In the absence of reviewability of the denial of defendant's motion for acquittal following the government's opening statement, defendant's right to appeal the sufficiency of the evidence adequately protects the defendant. Defendant in this case conceded at oral argument that the government arguably need not present any opening statement at all. See id. If appellant concedes that the government can skip its opening statement altogether, we do not see how appellant can argue logically that the failure to recite facts underlying one of several counts could merit the grant of a motion of acquittal as to that count. 18 Those courts that have held that a motion for acquittal following the government's opening argument is reviewable have reviewed the District Court's actions under an abuse of discretion standard. They have held that such a motion should be granted after the government's opening statement only when the statement clearly shows that the charge against defendant cannot be sustained under any view of the evidence consistent with the statement. McGuire v. United States, 152 F.2d 577, 580 (8th Cir.1945); see also United States v. Oliver, 570 F.2d 397, 400 (1st Cir.1978); United States v. Capocci, 433 F.2d 155, 158 (1st Cir.1970). An opening statement which is silent as to the underlying facts of a charge cannot, by that fact alone, be inconsistent with the evidence of the charge. The District Court's denial of defendant's motion, therefore, even if we had held it to be reviewable, would not have been error by this standard.