Opinion ID: 4510932
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rehaif Scienter Requirement

Text: Welch finally argues that his conviction is invalid in light of the Supreme Court’s recent Rehaif v. United States decision.2 139 S. Ct. 2191 (2019). Under Rehaif, the government in a § 922(g) prosecution must prove the defendant “knew he belonged to the relevant category of persons barred from possessing a firearm.” Id. at 2200. And while at trial Welch stipulated to being a felon prohibited from gun possession, the government never proved, at the time of the Aldrich house search, he knew he had “been convicted in any court of[] a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.” 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Because Welch failed to raise the issue at trial, we review for plain error. United States v. Hollingshed, 940 F.3d 410, 415 (8th Cir. 2019). Plain error is “(1) an error (2) that was obvious and (3) that affected the defendant’s substantial rights and (4) that seriously affected the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.” Id. (citing United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725 (1993)). To prove the alleged error affected his substantial rights, Welch must “show a reasonable probability that, but for the error, the outcome of the proceeding would have been different.” Id. at 415–16 (quoting Molina-Martinez v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 1338, 1343 (2016)). But this he cannot do. Welch has received and served several prison sentences longer than one year for felony convictions. It is not reasonably probable that, if the government had to prove Welch’s knowledge of a previous conviction for “a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year,” he would have been acquitted. 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1); see also Hollingshed, 940 F.3d at 415 (finding no plain error when the defendant was previously incarcerated for a year or more). 2 Welch, through counsel, moved for leave to brief this court on Rehaif. The motion is granted; we here consider Welch’s Rehaif argument. -8-