Opinion ID: 151337
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: This Court reviews de novo a district court’s denial of a motion, made pursuant to Rule 29 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, for judgment of acquittal. United States v. Alerre, 430 F.3d 681, 693 (4th Cir. 2005). In conducting such a review, the Court is obliged to sustain a guilty verdict if, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the verdict is supported by substantial evidence. United States v. Burgos, 94 F.3d 849, 862 (4th Cir. 1996) (en banc) (citing Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80 (1942)). This Court has “defined substantial evidence as evidence that a reasonable finder of fact could accept as adequate and sufficient to support a conclusion of a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” Alerre, 430 F.3d at 693 (internal quotation and citation omitted); see Burgos, 94 F.3d at 862. This Court “must consider circumstantial as well as direct evidence, and allow the government the benefit of all reasonable inferences from the facts proven to those sought to be established.” United States v. Tresvant, 677 F.2d 1018, 1021 (4th Cir. 1982). In evaluating the sufficiency of the evidence, this Court does not assess the credibility of the witnesses and assumes that the jury resolved all contradictions in the testimony in favor of the Government. United States v. Brooks, 5 524 F.3d 549, 563 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 129 S. Ct. 519 (2008). This Court “can reverse a conviction on insufficiency grounds only when the prosecution’s failure is clear.” United States v. Moye, 454 F.3d 390, 394 (4th Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). We find that there is ample evidence to support the jury’s decision to convict Husband of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. The fact that that officers recovered thirty-five pre-packaged and individually wrapped bags of marijuana from inside and around Husband’s person more than supports the conclusion that Husband possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them. Affording all reasonable inferences to the Government, it is clear that the Government adduced sufficient evidence to convict Husband.