Opinion ID: 1355148
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Failure to Instruct the Jury on How to Convert Ounces to Grams

Text: Hunter argues that the judge erred in failing to instruct the jury on how to convert ounces to grams because a finding that his operation possessed five kilograms of cocaine was an element of the crime for which he was convicted. Generally, a district court's decision not to give a jury instruction will only be reversed if the proposed instruction is correct, is not substantially covered by the charge, and is so important that failure to give it substantially impairs the defense. United States v. Blood, 435 F.3d 612, 623-24 (6th Cir. 2006). We review this claim for plain error. Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b); Johnson, 520 U.S. at 467, 117 S.Ct. 1544. The district court's failure to instruct the jury on the conversion ratio for ounces to grams was not plain error. Contrary to Hunter's assertion, the conversion ratio of ounces to grams (28.3495 grams per ounce) is not an element of the crime for which he was convicted. And, in any case, the conversion ratio was the subject of testimony at trial. Thus, the failure to give an instruction on the conversion ratio did not substantially impair the defense.