Opinion ID: 4270652
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Deliberations and Verdict

Text: During deliberations, the jury asked two questions, both relating to the definition of “firearm” in Count Two. The jury first asked “by federal statute is a gun firing blanks a firearm?” The jury also asked “what is [sic] federal statute of readily convertible firearm?” There were no questions about Count One. The district court answered the jury’s question by stating “you have been given all of the instructions on the law. Any terms that are not defined in the jury instructions are to be given their plain and ordinary meaning.” Neither party objected to the district court’s answer. After nearly three hours of deliberations, the jury found Benitez guilty of the § 2113(a) and (d) armed bank robbery charged in Count One, but found him not guilty of the § 924(c) firearm offense charged in Count Two.