Opinion ID: 2116780
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the Distance in the Enhanced Punishment Statute Must be Measured From an Area Where Students Are Shown to Congregate.

Text: Defendant also argues that, because the State presented no evidence that students congregate on the property across the street from the Rendezvous Lounge, no reason has been shown to enhance his sentence under section 204.401A. We find no merit in that suggestion. The simple answer to this argument is that, whatever the purpose of the statute, it does not require that direct cause or effect be established in the particular case in order to trigger the enhanced sentence. We note that a contention similar to that which defendant is advancing was rejected in United States v. Jones, 779 F.2d 121, 123 (2d Cir.1985), in applying the analogous federal enhancement statute.