Opinion ID: 1400392
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Marijuana Convictions

Text: With respect to the marijuana that was found in the vehicle, Nolen was convicted of (1) conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute, and (2) possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Nolen asserts that the jury lacked sufficient evidence to convict him of either of these charges. In making this argument, Nolen relies primarily on his belief that Blair testified the marijuana found in the vehicle was for Clark alone. To establish that a defendant conspired to distribute drugs ..., the government must prove: (1) that there was a conspiracy, i.e., an agreement to distribute the drugs; (2) that the defendant knew of the conspiracy; and (3) that the defendant intentionally joined the conspiracy. United States v. Rolon-Ramos, 502 F.3d 750, 754 (8th Cir.2007) (quotation omitted). Direct evidence of an explicit agreement is not necessary to prove a conspiracy; instead, a tacit understanding among co-conspirators may be, and often will be, inferred from circumstantial evidence. In many conspiracy cases there is no confession by the defendant or other direct proof that he agreed to the illegal act. However, the jury is free to consider all the evidence  direct and indirect  presented of the defendant's statements and actions. In addition, the jury may draw reasonable inferences from the evidence presented about what the defendant's state of mind was when he did or said the things presented in the evidence. United States v. Winston, 456 F.3d 861, 866 (8th Cir.2006) (quotations, citation omitted). Notably, [a] defendant challenging the sufficiency of the evidence in a conspiracy case has a heavy burden. United States v. Mickelson, 378 F.3d 810, 821 (8th Cir.2004). Based on our review of the trial testimony, viewed in the light most favorable to the jury's verdict, we conclude that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to have convicted Nolen of conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute. Of course, the first issue that must be considered with respect to this inquiry is whether a conspiracy did indeed exist. Although no evidence was offered of any explicit agreement, we conclude that circumstantial evidence allowed the jury to make this determination. Nolen is mistaken in his claim that Blair wholly testified the marijuana was for Clark alone. Although Blair testified that the marijuana was gonna go to Clark, he also indicated that only most of it was for her. Based on this testimony, a reasonable juror could have concluded that the remainder of the marijuana was going to Blair and Nolen for distribution purposes, especially in light of Blair's testimony regarding the crack cocaine. This notion is lent further support by other testimony that was adduced at trial. For instance, Hale testified that marijuana was the main drug that [she] heard discussed in relation to the group's plans and that the goal was to obtain a large amount of the drug. Moreover, Clark recounted that when she was in the Little Rock hotel with Blair and Nolen, she heard discussions concerning marijuana, and surmised that it was in the hotel room. Taken as a whole, and viewed in the light most favorable to the jury's verdict, a reasonable juror could have concluded that this evidence established the existence of a conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Having concluded that sufficient evidence supported the jury's determination that there was in fact a conspiracy, we must next determine whether Nolen knew of the conspiracy and whether he intentionally joined it. Much of the evidence cited in establishing the existence of a conspiracy also supports the jury's conclusion on each of these issues. An additional key piece of evidence, however, comes in the form of Blair's testimony that Nolen was with him when he purchased the drugs and that Nolen, along with Clark, was responsible for placing the drugs in the vehicle. It is clear that viewing this testimony in the light most favorable to the jury's verdict, sufficient evidence existed by which the jury could conclude that Nolen both knew of and intentionally joined the conspiracy. Accordingly, the district court did not err in denying Nolen's motion for judgment of acquittal on this charge. Nolen also asserts that his conviction for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute was not supported by sufficient evidence. We disagree. To establish that Nolen possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute, the government had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Nolen (1) knowingly possessed and (2) intended to distribute the marijuana found in the vehicle. United States v. Boyd, 180 F.3d 967, 979 (8th Cir.1999). In this case, knowing possession was established by Blair's testimony that Nolen, along with Clark, placed the drugs in the vehicle, of which Nolen was eventually discovered to be the driver. Meanwhile, intent to distribute was established by the testimony of both officers Case and Littleton, who each asserted that based on their experiences, the amount of marijuana discovered in the vehicle exceeded that which would normally be associated with personal use, and instead was consistent with distribution purposes. Based on the foregoing, we conclude that Nolen's conviction for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute was supported by sufficient evidence, and that therefore the district court did not err in denying Nolen's motion for judgment of acquittal on this charge.