Opinion ID: 2994245
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence Presented at

Text: Trial Essentially, Hall argues that the government failed to present evidence that supports his conviction on the specific conspiracies set forth in Counts one and two. In reviewing Hall’s sufficiency of the evidence claim, we are cognizant of the fact that Hall faces a nearly insurmountable hurdle, United States v. Moore, 115 F.3d 1348, 1363 (7th Cir. 1997), because [w]hen reviewing a conviction for sufficiency of the evidence, we neither reweigh the evidence nor do we substitute our judgment of the facts for that of the factfinder. See United States v. Hatchett, 31 F.3d 1411, 1416 (7th Cir. 1994). We consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, making all reasonable inferences in its favor, and affirm the conviction so long as any rational trier of fact could have found the defendant to have committed the essential elements of the crime. See Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L. Ed. 2d 560 (1979). Reversal is warranted ’only when the record is devoid of any evidence, regardless of how it is weighed, from which a jury could find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.’ United States v. Garcia, 35 F.3d 1125, 1128 (7th Cir. 1994) (quoting United States v. Gutierrez, 978 F.2d 1463, 1468-69 (7th Cir. 1992)). United States v. Masten, 170 F.3d 790, 794 (7th Cir. 1999). We conclude that there was more than sufficient evidence presented at trial to support Hall’s conviction of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as conspiring to distribute LSD because a number of witnesses (at least six) testified that Hall was involved with Walker and his drug associates in the conspiracies to purchase and distribute drugs. Further, at least five of Hall’s former drug co-conspirators, including Conway and McRoy, later became cooperating witnesses against the defendants and testified that on numerous occasions during 1994 and 1995, Hall traveled by himself and at times with other co-conspirators to Arizona to purchase marijuana, methamphetamine and LSD. Hall also contends that the testimony of the government informant who testified against him at trial was perjurious. He does not take issue with the heart of the informant’s testimony, describing Hall as a drug dealer, but challenges the informant’s testimony that relates to Hall attacking the informant and the informant’s wife at a bar./7 It is evident from the record that the informant’s testimony on this issue can at worst be classified as confused, which was brought out to the attention of the jury by Hall’s counsel during cross-examination. Let us also point out that this portion of the informant’s challenged testimony relates only to a collateral, inconsequential event that does not pertain to the drug conspiracies in which Hall was involved. Indeed, the informant’s confused testimony on a non-material event clearly does not constitute perjury. See United States v. Dunnigan, 507 U.S. 87, 94 (1993) (A witness testifying under oath or affirmation [commits perjury] if he or she gives false testimony concerning a material matter with the willful intent to provide false testimony, rather than as a result of confusion, mistake or faulty memory.) (emphasis added). Because the record contains more than sufficient evidence from which a rational jury could have concluded that Hall committed the crimes charged in Counts one and two, see Masten, 170 F.3d at 794, we reject his sufficiency of the evidence challenge to his conviction.