UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Nathaniel Earl KEYS, Defendant-Appellant

103 F.3d 758, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 9008, 96 Daily Journal DAR 14933, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 32669, 1996 WL 714392
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedDecember 13, 1996
Docket96-10064
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 103 F.3d 758 (UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Nathaniel Earl KEYS, Defendant-Appellant) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Nathaniel Earl KEYS, Defendant-Appellant, 103 F.3d 758, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 9008, 96 Daily Journal DAR 14933, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 32669, 1996 WL 714392 (9th Cir. 1996).

Opinion

LEAVY, Circuit Judge:

OVERVIEW

Nathaniel Earl Keys timely appeals the district court’s affirmance of his conviction, following a bench trial before a magistrate judge, for assault on his daughter in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(d) 1 and 1152. Keys argues that the district court lacked jurisdiction because the victim, who was one-fourth Indian, was not an enrolled member of any Indian tribe. Keys also argues that the Federal Enclaves Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1152, is an unconstitutional attempt by Congress to apply a general criminal code to the activities of non-Indians in Indian Country. We affirm Keys’ conviction.

FACTS AND PRIOR PROCEEDINGS

In June 1992, Nathaniel Earl Keys had a daughter. The daughter’s mother is an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribe and her enrollment certificate lists her as one-half Indian blood. Keys is African-American.

At the time of the daughter’s birth her mother was not living with Keys, although both the mother and Keys lived on the Colo *760 rado River Indian Tribe Reservation; The daughter lived with her mother for the first eighteen months of her life. Sometime in November 1993 the mother voluntarily gave custody of her daughter to Keys. Keys later established paternity and was granted formal custody of his daughter in tribal court. In June 1994, the mother was granted visitation rights of one 24-hour visitation period each week. On the second such visit, the mother discovered “bruises, scabs, and marks” on her daughter’s bottom and called Tribal Social Services and her tribal probation officer to report possible child abuse. The mother and her probation officer took the daughter to the Indian Health Service Hospital to be examined by her treating physician. The probation officer took the daughter to the Tribal Social Services Department and placed her under the protective custody of the Tribe. She also filed a petition with the Tribe for a “child in need of care.”

In March 1995, Keys was charged in an information with assault on “Jane Doe, an Indian, by striking beating or wounding,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(d) and 1152. 2 Keys pled not guilty and a bench trial was held on May 17, 1995. At the conclusion of the trial, Keys moved for judgment of acquittal and to dismiss the indictment for lack of jurisdiction; The motion for judgment of acquittal was based, in part, on the assertion that the government had failed to prove that the victim was an Indian. In support of the motion to dismiss, it was asserted that, under United States v. Lopez, — U.S. — —, 115 S.Ct. 1624, 131 L.Ed.2d 626 (1995), exercise of jurisdiction based on the Federal Enclaves Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1152, was unconstitutional.

On May 17, 1995, the magistrate judge orally denied the motions and found Keys guilty of simple assault. On May 19, 1995, the magistrate judge entered written supplemental findings and conclusions, finding that:

1. JANE DOE was approximately .two years old on June 14,1994.
2. JANE DOE’s mother is an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribe (“CRIT”).
3. JANE DOE has one-quarter Colorado River Indian blood.
4. JANE DOE is not an enrolled member of CRIT, but is eligible for enrollment.
5. Questions concerning JANE DOE’s care and custody were litigated in the Colorado River Indian Tribal Court. The CRIT Tribal Court exercised jurisdiction over JANE DOE and still continues to do so.
6. JANE DOE’s well-being was investigated by CRIT child welfare workers. Previously, CRIT child welfare workers removed JANE DOE from her mother’s home and took protective custody of her. The allegations of her possible abuse were investigated by CRIT tribal police.
7. JANE DOE is provided medical services at an Indian hospital.
8. Distinctions between Indians and non-Indians for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 1152 are political in nature, not racial.
9. If an adult or older child is eligible to enroll in an Indian tribe but fails to , do so, perhaps an inference can be drawn that the individual intentionally chooses not to affiliate politically with the tribe. Since JANE DOE was a two-year old and incapable of enrolling herself, no such .inference can be drawn.
10. Tribal enrollment is one way, but not the exclusive way, to establish that one is an Indian for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 1152.
11. Although two-year-old JANE DOE'is not an enrolled member of the tribe, the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she is a de facto member of the Colorado River Indian Tribe.

On August 8, 1995, Keys was sentenced to three years probation. Keys appealed his conviction to the district court the same day. On January 24, .1996, the district court affirmed the conviction, finding that the magistrate judge’s findings and conclusions were *761 supported by the record and applicable law and holding that the Federal Enclaves Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1152, is constitutional and that Keys’ prosecution did not deny him equal protection under the law. Keys timely filed his notice of appeal on January 29, 1996.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Whether Keys’ daughter is an “Indian” under 18 U.S.C. § 1152 is a mixed question of law and fact which is reviewed de novo. United States v. Eric B., 86 F.3d 869, 877 (9th Cir.1996). A mixed question of law and fact occurs when the historical facts are established, the rule of law is undisputed, and the issue is whether the facts satisfy the legal rule. Pullman-Standard v. Swint, 456 U.S. 273, 289 n. 19, 102 S.Ct. 1781, 1790 n. 19, 72 L.Ed.2d 66 (1982).

The constitutionality of a statute is a question of law reviewed de novo. United States v. Sahhar, 56 F.3d 1026, 1028 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 116 S.Ct. 400, 133 L.Ed.2d 320 (1995).

ANALYSIS

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103 F.3d 758, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 9008, 96 Daily Journal DAR 14933, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 32669, 1996 WL 714392, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-of-america-plaintiff-appellee-v-nathaniel-earl-keys-ca9-1996.