Opinion ID: 702975
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Properly Instruct the Jury

Text: 18 Molina argues that the district court erred in refusing to instruct the jury on multiple conspiracies. Molina contends that the evidence supports the conclusion that multiple conspiracies existed, emphasizing that he was unaware of any conspiracy until December 1990, when he first met Frasure. The government argues that, while several individual transactions had been agreed upon, the general conspiracy was to obtain, transport, and sell cocaine. Finding multiple conspiracies requires some evidence of separate agreements and purposes. See United States v. Patterson, 819 F.2d 1495, 1502 (9th Cir. 1987). No such finding is warranted here. The district court's ruling is affirmed. 19 Molina argues his conviction must be reversed because the district court failed to instruct the jury on a lesser included offense. He contends the jury should have been instructed on a conspiracy involving less than 5 kilos of cocaine. We have held that an instruction on a lesser included offense should be given under specific circumstances: 20 A trial court should give an instruction on a lesser included offense if the jury could rationally convict the defendant on the lesser included charge and acquit him of the greater. 21 United States v. Espinosa, 827 F.2d 604 (9th Cir. 1987), cert. denied, 48 U.S. 968 (1988). Here, the record does not reflect that a jury could have rationally convicted the appellant of a lesser included offense and acquitted him of the greater. This conspiracy was not a one-shot deal where such an amount could be distinguished from another. We do not find any abuse of discretion in the court's refusal to give a lesser included offense instruction