Opinion ID: 166304
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Aiding and Abetting a Carjacking

Text: 9 In order for Mr. Vallejos to be found guilty of aiding and abetting carjacking in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119 and 18 U.S.C. § 2, the Government must prove four factors beyond a reasonable doubt: (1) the offense of carjacking under § 2119 was committed by some person; (2) Mr. Vallejos associated himself with the carjacking; (3) Mr. Vallejos participated in the carjacking as something [he] wished to bring about; and (4) Mr. Vallejos sought to make the carjacking successful. See United States v. Hanson, 41 F.3d 580, 582-83 (10th Cir.1994). 10 The District Court granted Mr. Vallejos's motion for judgment of acquittal because it determined that there was insufficient evidence for a jury to find that he met the second element of this test. The court concluded that the evidence did not support a finding that Mr. Vallejos possessed the intent necessary to establish that he had associated himself with the carjacking. The Government disagrees with the District Court's conclusion, arguing that the evidence supported an inference that Mr. Vallejos saw Mr. Sanchez point the gun at Mr. Tabarez and that this is sufficient to support the jury's verdict. We begin by examining the intent necessary to aid and abet a carjacking. 11 This Court has held that, in order to be convicted of aiding and abetting, a defendant must share[ ] in the intent to commit the [underlying] offense. U.S. v. Thurmond, 7 F.3d 947, 950 (10th Cir.1993). Although we have never considered the requisite intent for aiding and abetting a carjacking, we note that the First Circuit has decided this question, holding that a defendant can be found guilty of aiding and abetting under § 2119 if he consciously shared some knowledge of the principal's criminal intent. United States v. Otero-Mendez, 273 F.3d 46, 52 (1st Cir. 2001). We agree with the First Circuit and therefore conclude that Mr. Vallejos possessed the intent necessary to be found guilty of aiding and abetting a carjacking if he shared some knowledge of Mr. Sanchez's intent to commit the carjacking. 12 In order to be convicted of carjacking under 18 U.S.C. § 2119, a defendant must take a motor vehicle by force or intimidation with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm. In Holloway v. United States, 526 U.S. 1, 3, 119 S.Ct. 966, 143 L.Ed.2d 1 (1999), the Supreme Court held that this intent requirement is satisfied when the Government proves that at the moment the defendant demanded or took control over the driver's automobile the defendant possessed the intent to seriously harm or kill the driver if necessary to steal the car. Thus, the intent necessary to commit a carjacking is a conditional intent: The offender does not have to display a desire to injure the victim so long as the jury could infer that, had the victim refused to give up his car, the carjacker would have injured him. 13 The District Court concluded that Mr. Sanchez possessed the necessary intent to commit carjacking. Although Mr. Vallejos states on appeal that he disputes that the Government presented sufficient evidence that Sanchez had a conditional intent to kill or cause serious bodily harm to effect the carjacking, he does not present any arguments supporting this position. We therefore accept the District Court's determination that Mr. Sanchez possessed the conditional intent necessary to commit the carjacking offense. Because we must determine whether Mr. Vallejos shared some knowledge of Mr. Sanchez's criminal intent, we must briefly review the factual basis for the court's conclusion. 14 We determine whether a defendant possesses the conditional intent necessary to support a carjacking conviction by considering the totality of the circumstances. United States v. Malone, 222 F.3d 1286, 1291 (10th Cir.2000). In considering this question, a number of circuits have expressly held that the use of a firearm in the carjacking is sufficient to establish the conditional intent necessary to satisfy § 2119. See United States v. Adams, 265 F.3d 420, 425 (6th Cir.2001); United States v. Williams, 136 F.3d 547, 552 (8th Cir.1998); United States v. Lake, 150 F.3d 269, 272 (3d Cir.1998). These courts have reasoned that when a carjacker brandishes a firearm and orders a driver out of his car, it is reasonable for the driver, and for the jury, to infer that the carjacker is willing to use that firearm if the driver refuses to give up the car. Consequently, the presence of a gun establishes that the defendant possessed the intent to seriously harm or kill the driver if necessary to steal the car. Holloway, 526 U.S. at 3, 119 S.Ct. 966. 15 The evidence presented at trial established that Mr. Sanchez opened the truck door and shoved a gun into Mr. Tabarez's ribs. As the District Court correctly determined, this evidence is sufficient to establish that Mr. Sanchez possessed the intent required by § 2119. Because Mr. Sanchez's intent to seriously injure or kill a person if he refused to turn over his car can be inferred by his brandishing of a firearm, and because Mr. Vallejos may be convicted of aiding and abetting in carjacking only if he shared some knowledge of Mr. Sanchez's intent, we must determine whether a reasonable jury could have concluded that Mr. Vallejos saw Mr. Sanchez draw the gun when he ordered Mr. Tabarez out of the truck. If it could, the jury could also reasonably infer that Mr. Vallejos knew that Mr. Sanchez intended to seriously injure or kill Mr. Tabarez if he did not give up the truck — thereby satisfying the Government's burden to demonstrate that Mr. Vallejos had the requisite intent to aid and abet the carjacking. 16 Relying on two decisions from the First Circuit, the District Court held that the evidence must establish that Mr. Vallejos knew to a practical certainty that Mr. Sanchez drew the gun. The court then concluded that the evidence was insufficient to support this conclusion and therefore entered a judgment of acquittal. We disagree with both the rationale of the District Court and the result reached by it. 17 To begin, the District Court misconstrued the two First Circuit cases on which it relied. In its discussion of United States v. Evans-Garcia, 322 F.3d 110 (1st Cir.2003) and United States v. Otero-Mendez, 273 F.3d 46 (1st Cir.2001), the District Court stated that [i]n those cases, the First Circuit held that in order for the defendants to be guilty of aiding and abetting a carjacking, they must have known to a practical certainty that the principals possessed the conditional intent to inflict death or serious bodily harm. It then concluded that Mr. Vallejos did not know to a practical certainty of Mr. Sanchez's intent because Mr. Vallejos never saw Mr. Sanchez draw the gun. Those cases, however, do not stand for this proposition. To the contrary, the First Circuit explicitly left open the question whether the Government must show that the defendant knew to a practical certainty of the principal's intent or whether it is sufficient to show that the defendant was simply on notice of such intent. See Otero-Mendez, 273 F.3d at 52; Evans-Garcia, 322 F.3d at 114. Clearly, then, the First Circuit has not held, nor has any other Circuit, that a conviction for aiding and abetting carjacking will stand only if the defendant knew to a practical certainty of the principal's intent. 18 Nevertheless, even if we were to require such a showing, we think that that standard is met here. Taken in the light most favorable to the Government, evidence at trial established that Mr. Sanchez told the women in the Monte Carlo to watch this just minutes before he took the truck. Mr. Vallejos was standing on the other side of the Monte Carlo, leaning into the passenger side window, when Mr. Sanchez made that statement; the jury could reasonably infer that Mr. Vallejos heard what Mr. Sanchez said and was paying attention to what was going to happen next. Thereafter, Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Vallejos approached Mr. Tabarez's truck. When Mr. Sanchez opened the driver's door and pulled out the gun, Mr. Vallejos was standing only about a foot behind him and slightly to Mr. Sanchez's right, giving Mr. Vallejos a clear line of vision to the gun. Mr. Vallejos then jumped into the bed of the truck over to the passenger side, where he pushed Mr. Gutierrez as he was getting out. Afterward, he watched Mr. Tabarez crawl across the front seat and also get out from the passenger side. Mr. Sanchez yelled for Mr. Vallejos to get in, and Mr. Vallejos complied. Given this evidence, a jury could find that Mr. Vallejos saw the gun and therefore had the requisite intent to aid and abet the carjacking. 19 The District Court placed a significant amount of weight on the fact that Mr. Vallejos is blind in his right eye and on Mr. Vallejos's testimony that his eyesight in his left eye is not that good. The court determined that because of Mr. Vallejos's diminished eyesight, it would be unreasonable to conclude that he saw the gun despite being only a foot away from it. We disagree because the District Court failed to consider the totality of the evidence. First, we note that Mr. Vallejos himself was apparently the only one to testify about his vision in his left eye, and he testified only that it was not that good. No specifics were mentioned, so the jury was left to decide for itself whether, and to what extent, Mr. Vallejos had diminished sight in that eye. Moreover, testimony indicated that Mr. Vallejos was standing only a foot behind Mr. Sanchez and had the gun in his direct line of vision. To determine that the only reasonable conclusion a jury could reach is that Mr. Vallejos did not see the gun would require evidence that Mr. Vallejos's eyesight was extremely impaired — evidence that was not presented to the jury in this case. Finally, evidence supported the Government's contention that Mr. Vallejos heard Mr. Sanchez tell the women to watch this, from which the jury could infer that Mr. Vallejos was paying attention to what Mr. Sanchez was doing when he drew the gun moments later. 20 Based on the evidence presented at trial, a reasonable jury could conclude that Mr. Vallejos saw Mr. Sanchez draw the gun as he was carjacking Mr. Tabarez's car. Because this establishes the requisite intent for aiding and abetting carjacking under 18 U.S.C. § 2119 and 18 U.S.C. § 2, the District Court's entry of judgment of acquittal based on lack of intent was erroneous. The jury's verdict shall be reinstated. 21 C. Aiding and Abetting the Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence 22 Aiding and abetting in the use of a firearm during a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) requires proof that the defendant (1) knew his cohort used a firearm in the underlying crime and (2) knowingly and actively participated in that underlying crime. See United States v. Wiseman, 172 F.3d 1196, 1217 (10th Cir. 1999). Here, it is undisputed that Mr. Sanchez brandished the gun and pointed it toward Mr. Tabarez while ordering him out of the car. This satisfies the use requirement of the first element. See United States v. Hager, 969 F.2d 883, 889 (10th Cir.1992) (holding that `use' under § 924(c) is established when the defendant has ready access to the firearm and the firearm was an integral part of his criminal undertaking and its availability increased the likelihood that the criminal undertaking would succeed). Moreover, we have already held that the evidence was sufficient for a reasonable jury to conclude that Mr. Vallejos saw Mr. Sanchez point the gun at Mr. Tabarez. Therefore, only the second element remains in dispute. 23 The evidence at trial was sufficient for a jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Vallejos knowingly and actively participated in the carjacking. He was standing only a foot away from Mr. Sanchez when Mr. Sanchez drew the weapon and threatened Mr. Tabarez. Immediately thereafter, Mr. Vallejos jumped into the cab and over to the passenger door, where he pushed Mr. Gutierrez out and then jumped back in the cab as the truck sped away. Mr. Vallejos's actions in ensuring that the truck's occupants exited the vehicle, along with Mr. Vallejos's willingness to enter the truck with Mr. Sanchez in the driver's seat, provide a sufficient basis for a jury to conclude that Mr. Vallejos knowingly and actively participated in the carjacking. We therefore conclude that the District Court erred in granting judgment of acquittal on this count.