Opinion ID: 15343
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Possession of Funds

Text: 27 Then there is Ortega's possession of over $700 in cash at the time of his arrest. We remain mindful, of course, of our prior pronouncements to the effect that possession of large amounts of cash may be circumstantial evidence of guilt. Considering Ortega's possession of the cash and his description of his employment, a jury might well question his ability to accumulate this much cash while supporting his family with odd jobs. In the context of this case, however, the government's contention that the $731 is circumstantial evidence that Ortega was participating in a drug run is contradicted by his explanation, fully documented, that the money was what was left of a tax refund of more than twice that amount. As Ortega's tax return shows that the $1500 refund constituted nearly 15 percent of his expected annual salary, it is reasonable that he would be unlikely to have spent it all at once. 28