Opinion ID: 340098
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: error asserted by both appellants

Text: 128 Both Pheaster and Inciso contend that there is insufficient evidence of interstate or foreign transportation of Larry Adell to sustain their convictions under Count One of the Indictment. Although Section 1201(b) of Title 18 provides a statutory presumption of interstate or foreign commerce which would be triggered by the facts of this case, the district court did not instruct the jury as to the statutory presumption because of its concern that the provision was unconstitutional. 19 Because of that decision by the district court, we must determine whether there was sufficient evidence of such transportation. The standard for such a review was stated supra. Viewed according to that standard, the evidence of interstate transportation, while not overwhelming, is sufficient to sustain the conviction. 129 Shortly after his arrest on July 14, 1974, Pheaster told F.B.I. agents that Larry Adell was being held in Las Vegas by a man named Ron. There was substantial corroborative evidence that Larry had been moved out of the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas after the third attempt to pay the ransom failed. Larry was seen on or about July 1, 1974, by the father of one of his friends in a drugstore in Apple Valley, California, which is between Palm Springs and Las Vegas. At that time he appeared to be stone pale and under some kind of mild form of sedation. R.T. Vol. 10, pp. 1330, 1332-1333. Larry was later seen on two occasions in Las Vegas, once by Marilyn Coffin and another time by Laurie Cote, both of whom knew him from high school. When he was seen by Marilyn Coffin on July 3, Larry was with two other boys at a blackjack table in one of the casinos. When he was seen by Laurie Cote sometime between July 4 and 6, Larry was walking quickly through one of the casinos and appeared thinner and paler than when she had last seen him. Although the circumstances of Larry's presence in Las Vegas might appear somewhat inconsistent with those of a kidnap victim, that point was argued to the jury and rejected. There was sufficient evidence from which the jury could find that Larry Adell was transported in interstate commerce. 20 130 For the reasons set out above, we affirm the convictions. 131