Court Opinion

ID: 9474410
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:56:31.806445+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:44:03.980257
License: Public Domain

BALDOCK, District Judge,
specially concurring.
I concur in the result and the discussion contained in the majority opinion with the *1536following exception. In considering the government’s position that an inference of knowledge can be drawn from appellant’s willingness to tolerate the strong odor of liquid PCP in the truck, the majority opinion says:
In view of the government’s failure by direct evidence to establish appellant’s familiarity with PCP, the mere presence of an odor in the truck does not, by itself, establish that appellant knew there was PCP concealed in the truck. (Citations omitted).
Majority Opinion at 1531. In my view, when the evidence is taken as a whole in the light most favorable to the government, appellant’s familiarity with PCP was established. It does not matter whether the evidence was circumstantial or direct. 2 C. Wright, Fed.Prac. & Proc. § 467 (1982). Moreover, the presence of the strong odor of PCP supports an inference of knowledge which the jury is entitled to believe. United States v. Liles, 670 F.2d 989, 992 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 1008, 102 S.Ct. 2300, 73 L.Ed.2d 1303 (1982); United States v. Robbins, 629 F.2d 1105, 1106 (5th Cir.1980).