Opinion ID: 66725
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sufficiency Argument (Drug Conviction)

Text: Hamilton argues that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and ecstasy because the only 9 evidence linking the drugs to Hamilton was the uncorroborated testimony of Bentley, his passenger. He contends that Bentley’s testimony was not credible (given his stated interest in receiving a lighter sentence) and was inconsistent with his previous statements. We review a claim of insufficient evidence to convict de novo.1 See United States v. Nolan, 223 F.3d 1311, 1314 (11th Cir. 2000) (per curiam). We view the evidence in the light most favorable to the government and affirm the conviction if, based on this evidence, “any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Id. (quotation marks and citation omitted). In order to obtain a conviction under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), “the government had to prove three elements: (1) knowledge; (2) possession; and (3) intent to distribute.” United States v. Poole, 878 F.2d 1389, 1391 (11th Cir. 1989) (per curiam). Each of these elements may be proven by direct or circumstantial evidence. See id. at 1391-92. We have held that the “uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice is 1 Hamilton did not file a motion for a judgment of acquittal with the district court. He did, however, timely file a motion for a new trial. Accordingly, Hamilton preserved his insufficient-evidence claim. See United States v. Williams, 144 F.3d 1397, 1401 (11th Cir. 1998). By filing a motion for a new trial, Hamilton preserved his challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence. 10 sufficient to support a conviction in the Federal Courts if it is not on its face incredible or otherwise insubstantial.” United States v. LeQuire, 943 F.2d 1554, 1562 (11th Cir. 1991). Testimony is incredible or insubstantial only if it is “testimony as to facts that [the witness] physically could not have possibly observed or events that could not have occurred under the laws of nature.” Id. at 1562 (quotation marks and citation omitted) (alteration in the original). In reviewing witness testimony, “[t]he jury gets to make any credibility choices, and we will assume that they made them all in the way that supports the verdict.” United States v. Thompson, 473 F.3d 1137, 1142 (11th Cir. 2006), cert. denied, 127 S. Ct. 2155 (2007). “It is emphatically not within the province of an appellate court to reweigh the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses at trial.” United States v. Hernandez, 141 F.3d 1042, 1052 (11th Cir. 1998). We conclude that sufficient evidence supports the jury’s finding that the government proved each element of § 841 beyond a reasonable doubt. Bentley’s testimony was not incredible or insubstantial and from it, a rational trier of fact could conclude that Hamilton had knowledge of and possession of the drugs in question and the intent to distribute them.