Opinion ID: 13425
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Maintaining a Place for the Purpose of Distributing a Controlled Substance

Text: 16 Count III alleged that from on or about November 1, 1995, to on or about January 21, 1996, Soto unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally maintained a place ... for the purpose of distributing marihuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 856(a)(1). This Court has held that a deliberate ignorance instruction is inappropriate, and may constitute reversible error, if given as to an alleged section 856(a)(1) violation. United States v. Chen, 913 F.2d 183, 190 (5th Cir.1990). In Chen we stated that: 17 [W]e conclude that the deliberate ignorance instruction cannot be used for [§ 856(a)(1) ]. One cannot be deliberately ignorant (in order to convict for the knowledge element) and still have the purpose of engaging in illegal drug activities. Therefore the instruction was inappropriate for an offense which requires a specific purpose by the defendant. Id. 18 While Chen indicates that there was sufficient evidence that the defendant was in fact deliberately ignorant, it nevertheless held that as a matter of law the concept of deliberate ignorance was inappropriate with respect to section 856(a)(1). Following Chen, we hold that the deliberate ignorance instruction in Soto's case was in error as it related to count III. Nor can we say that this error was clearly harmless as to count III under the evidence here. Because of this instructional error, the conviction and sentence (and assessment) on count III are reversed and that count is remanded.