Opinion ID: 4873
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: ricardo portillo brito

Text: After the jury returned a verdict of guilty against Ricardo, he moved for a post-verdict judgment of acquittal. The district court granted the motion, reasoning that although the evidence demonstrated Ricardo's knowledge of the conspiracy, it was insufficient to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to join or participate in the conspiracy. In the words of Judge Hudspeth, It is possible that Ricardo Portillo Brito participated in the conspiracy, but it is equally possible that he was merely a knowing spectator. Considered as a whole, the evidence fails to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he was the former rather than the latter. The duty of a district court in ruling on a post- verdict motion for acquittal is to determine, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, whether the evidence could be accepted by a jury as adequate and sufficient to support the conclusion of the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Varkonyi, 17 Rebeca additionally argues that the trial court should have granted her a new trial based on the judgment of acquittal granted to her brother. This issue is not briefed at all and thus has been abandoned. See United States v. Lindell, 881 F.2d 1313, 1325 (5th Cir. 1989), cert. denied, 110 S.Ct. 2621 (1990) (citing F.R.App.P. 28(a)(4)). Even were this issue not abandoned, we would reject it for, after an exhaustive search of the record, we are unable to find any indication that Rebeca ever filed a motion for new trial. 23 611 F.2d 84, 85 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 945 (1980). An appellate court reviews the trial court's granting of a motion for acquittal de novo, applying the same standard as the court below. Id. at 85-6. A court may not simply substitute its own views of justice for those of the jury. Id. at 86. Finally, the jury alone can assess the weight of the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses. United States v. Molinar-Apodaca, 889 F.2d 1417, 1423 (5th Cir. 1989). The sum of the evidence in this case is that Juan and Filemon Sanchez were the principals of a conspiracy. They lived in El Paso, Juan with his common law wife Rebeca. At all times, Ricardo lived in Austin. On September 10, 1989, Ricardo went to El Paso to attend his nephew's first birthday party, a party which was attended by roughly 30 people. In addition to family members and friends, several persons later identified as co-conspirators in this case attended the party. Ricardo was driven by his cousin (a student not implicated in any of the alleged wrongdoing involved in this case) to the El Paso airport in the early evening and he departed for Austin. He appeared at work in Austin on the morning of September 12, 1989, a Monday. In the latter part of September 12, 1989, a phone call, discussed above, between Rebeca and Ricardo was intercepted in which the two discussed the arrest of Ivan Flores and commiserated over the same. The United States contends the evidence is sufficient 24 to convict Ricardo. It points to a reference to the City of Austin, along with references to other Texas cities, and reasons Austin was a code word for Ricardo. It also suggests that because Ricardo travelled to his nephew's birthday party in El Paso, he can be viewed as having a close family relationship with his sister and thus the conspiracy.18 Finally, the government refers us to statements made in the Rebeca/Ricardo phone conversation. Initially, we note that Ricardo readily admits to knowledge of the conspiracy. We have additionally discussed agent May's agreement with the characterization of the Rebeca/Ricardo phone conversation. Moreover, all of agent May's testimony regarding the allegedly incriminating aspects of the Rebeca/Ricardo conversation were directed at establishing the conversation as being in furtherance of the conspiracy. The district court rejected this analysis when it granted a judgment of acquittal as to the illegal use of the telephone charges against Rebeca and Ricardo. Thus, as discussed previously, the jury could have used the conversation only as evidence of knowledge of or participation in the conspiracy. Again, however, agent May's testimony regarding statements in the conversation concerned acts in the future. Specifically, agent May 18 This reasoning we find particularly disturbing. No evidence suggests that Ricardo should have anything other than a close relationship with his sister who, as far as the record reflects, is his only sibling. 25 interpreted statements made by Rebeca as indicating that a shipment of marijuana would be going to Ricardo in Austin. Moreover, his interpretation of Ricardo's lamentations was that Ricardo would not be able to use the system in the future. As to the pinata party, testimony from government agents revealed that there was no basis upon which the jury could conclude that Ricardo participated in any conspiracy related activities while present. Quite simply, there was no evidence presented upon which a reasonable jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Ricardo participated in the conspiracy. Finally, we note the uncontroverted evidence that Ricardo has been employed as a supervisor of a sealant business in Austin for approximately four years, has an excellent work record, pays his bills regularly, and lives a modest life in a modest home. As to Ricardo, the evidence supports equally or nearly equally a theory of guilt as a theory of innocence.19 See Clark, 755 F.2d at 396.