Opinion ID: 691979
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: wrongful conduct element of hobbs act violation

Text: 50 The appellants, relying on Evans v. United States, 504 U.S. 255, 112 S.Ct. 1881, 119 L.Ed.2d 57 (1992), next contend that the court erroneously refused an instruction which explained to the jury how to distinguish lawful payments from extortion under the Hobbs Act. 15 This Court reviews jury instructions for an abuse of discretion. Tomblin, 46 F.3d at 1378.  'The refusal to give a jury instruction constitutes error only if the instruction (1) was substantially correct, (2) was not substantially covered in the charge delivered to the jury, and (3) concerned an important issue so that the failure to give it seriously impaired the defendant's ability to present a given defense.'  Id. at 1378-79 (quoting United States v. Pennington, 20 F.3d 593, 600 (5th Cir.1994)) (other citations omitted). 51 In Tomblin, supra, the appellant raised an analogous claim, and we opined that a jury instruction must adequately distinguish between the intent behind a lawful campaign contribution and the intent behind an unlawful bribery. There, the trial court charged the jury on the bribery issue using Fifth Circuit Pattern Jury Instruction Nos. 2.13 and 2.12. We noted that while use of a pattern instruction was not conclusive, we encouraged their use. 16 Tomblin, 46 F.3d at 1380 n. 16. We found that although Tomblin's requested charge sharply focused on the particular facts of the case as they pertained to his defense, the court's charge as submitted allowed him to present his defense to the jury. 52 In case at bar, the court's charge instructed the jury that: 53 Wrongfully obtaining property under color of official right is the taking or attempted taking by a public officer of property not due to him or his office, whether or not the public official employed force, threats, or fear. In other words, the wrongful use of otherwise valid official power may convert dutiful action into extortion. If a public official accepts or demands property in return for promised performance or nonperformance of an official act, the official is guilty of extortion. This is true even if the official was already duty bound to take or withhold the action in question, or even if the official did not have the power or authority to take or withhold the action in question, if the victim reasonably believed that the official had that authority or power. 54 The government points to a similar instruction approved in United States v. Dozier, 672 F.2d 531, 540 n. 6 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 943, 103 S.Ct. 256, 74 L.Ed.2d 200 (1982). We find that the appellants have neither shown that the proposed instruction was not substantially covered in the actual charge nor that their ability to present their defense was seriously impaired.