Opinion ID: 1349998
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Post-verdict motion to renew a judgment for acquittal.

Text: In order to preserve the sufficiency of the evidence issue on appeal, the defendant must move for a judgment of acquittal during the trial pursuant to Fed. R.Crim.P. 29(a). Gonzalez filed a motion for judgment of acquittal at the close of the government's case but did not move for a judgment of acquittal at the close of all of the evidence. The government argues that for this reason, we may review his sufficiency of the evidence claim only to prevent a manifest miscarriage of justice or for plain error. See United States v. Ross, 338 F.3d 1054, 1057 (9th Cir.2003), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 1168, 124 S.Ct. 1187, 157 L.Ed.2d 1218 (2004). However, we have traditionally imposed this higher standard of review only in cases where a motion for judgment of acquittal is never renewed. United States v. Alvarez-Valenzuela, 231 F.3d 1198, 1200-1201 (9th Cir. 2000). Here, Gonzalez did renew his earlier motion for judgment of acquittal by filing a written motion within seven days of the date of the verdict. We have not squarely addressed whether, as here, a timely post-trial motion for a judgment of acquittal, pursuant to Fed. R.Crim.P. 29(c)(1) preserves a sufficiency claim for appellate review. [1] The First and Fifth Circuits have addressed the issue and held that a Rule 29(c) motion does preserve a sufficiency claim. See United States v. Castro-Lara, 970 F.2d 976, 980 (1st Cir.1992) (movant under Rule 29(c) is entitled to the benefit of the same standard of appellate review as movant under Rule 29(a)); United States v. Allison, 616 F.2d 779, 784 (5th Cir.1980) (per curiam) (Under Rule 29(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, [the defendant] has preserved her right of appellate review.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 857, 101 S.Ct. 156, 66 L.Ed.2d 72 (1980); see also United States v. Teague, 956 F.2d 1427, 1433 (7th Cir. 1992) (defendant waives sufficiency claim by fail[ing] to renew his motion for acquittal at the close of trial or within seven days after the verdict pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29(c).). We now join our sister circuits in holding that a timely post-verdict motion under Rule 29(c)(1), renewing an earlier motion for judgment of acquittal after the close of the government's case at trial, constitutes a sufficient renewal of the motion to preserve the issue for de novo appellate review. The rule specifically provides that a defendant may renew a motion for acquittal within 7 days after a guilty verdict and is not required to move for a judgment of acquittal before the court submits the case to the jury as a prerequisite for making such a motion after jury discharge. Fed.R.Crim.P. 29(c). We read this provision to state that even absent any motion for judgment of acquittal at trial, a defendant who files a timely post-trial motion for acquittal stands on the same footingand is entitled to the benefit of the same standard of appellate reviewas a defendant who moves for acquittal at the close of all the evidence. See Castro-Lara, 970 F.2d at 976; Allison, 616 F.2d at 784; see also 2A Charles A. Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure § 465 (2008). Because Gonzalez's post-trial motion for acquittal was timelyit was filed within seven days of the date of the verdictthere was no waiver; he is entitled to review for sufficiency of evidence. There is sufficient evidence to support a conviction if, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. See Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). When a claim of sufficiency of the evidence is preserved by making a motion for acquittal at the close of the evidence, this court reviews the district court's denial of the motion de novo. See United States v. Stewart, 420 F.3d 1007, 1014 (9th Cir.2005). We now apply this standard to review the district court's denial of judgment of acquittal on both counts.