United States v. Battle

289 F.3d 661, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 8868, 2002 WL 922721
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedMay 8, 2002
Docket01-3154
StatusPublished
Cited by57 cases

This text of 289 F.3d 661 (United States v. Battle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Battle, 289 F.3d 661, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 8868, 2002 WL 922721 (10th Cir. 2002).

Opinion

ALARCON, Circuit Judge.

Larry Jermaine Battle, Jr. (“Battle”) appeals from the judgment of conviction and the sentence imposed for obstructing or delaying interstate commerce by committing a robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951 (“Hobbs Act”), and for causing the death of Edward S. Lee by use of a firearm during the commission of a robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1) and CDU).

*663 He seeks reversal of the Hobbs Act violation on the ground that the robbery of a local convenience store is not an economic activity that has a substantial effect on interstate commerce. He appeals from the court’s sentencing decision on the ground that it erred in imposing consecutive sentences, in computing the applicable Sentencing Guidelines range, and in denying him an additional reduction for acceptance of responsibility.

We affirm the judgment of conviction because we conclude that the Hobbs Act is violated even if the robbery of a convenience store does not have a substantial effect on interstate commerce. We also hold that the sentence imposed by the court was consistent with §§ 924(c)(1) and (j)(l) and the Sentencing Guidelines.

I

The evidence viewed in the light most favorable to the Government demonstrates that on March 29, 2000, Battle and Dius T. Lorance (“Lorance”) entered Lee’s Phillips 66, a gas station and convenience store, located in Wichita, Kansas that was owned by Edward S. Lee (“Mr.Lee”) and his wife, Van Thu Ho (“Ms.Ho”). Battle and Lorance wore bandanas that covered their faces. At that time, Mr. Lee was behind the counter, and Ms. Ho was in a back room eating lunch. Battle was armed with a short barreled shotgun. He ordered Mr. Lee to give them the money in the cash register. While opening the cash register, Mr. Lee also pressed the alarm button to summon the police. Lorance jumped over the counter, took approximately $320.00, and then ran out of the store. Ms. Ho watched the robbery via a television monitor connected to the store’s security cameras. She also activated the store’s alarm system.

As Battle was backing away from the counter, he ordered Mr. Lee not to move. Mr. Lee did not move. Nevertheless, Battle fired the shotgun at Mr. Lee. He was struck in the right upper torso. As a result of the wounds he received from the shotgun blast, Mr. Lee died approximately three hours later.

The police officers who responded to the alarm and Ms. Ho’s 911 call followed Battle’s footprints to a house two or three blocks away where they arrested Battle. A search of the house revealed shotgun shells and currency. Along the footprint path, the officers found a sawed-off shotgun, gloves, and a bandana.

Battle was taken to the FBI Violent Crime Task Force office. When interrogated, he admitted that he had committed the robbery and had shot Mr. Lee. He refused to disclose the identity of his accomplice. He also stated that he fired the shotgun because Mr. Lee moved toward him.

Battle was convicted by a jury on two counts: (1) interfering with or obstructing interstate commerce by committing a robbery (in violation of the Hobbs Act), and (2) causing the death of Mr. Lee with a firearm during the commission of that robbery (in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) and § 924(j)(l)). Battle was sentenced on May 9, 2001. The district court calculated Battle’s sentence by grouping the two counts pursuant to United States Sentencing Guidelines (“U.S.S.G.”) § 3D1.2(b), with a base offense level of 43. The district court then adjusted the base offense level by two points for acceptance of responsibility, yielding a total offense level of 41. It found that Battle was subject to criminal history category II. Battle was sentenced to serve consecutive sentences of 240 months in prison for the Hobbs Act violation and life imprisonment pursuant to §§ 942(c)(1) and (j)(l).

*664 II

The district court had jurisdiction over this case pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3231. This court has jurisdiction over Battle’s timely appeal pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291.

III

Battle seeks reversal of the judgment of conviction on the ground that the Hobbs Act cannot be applied to the robbery of a local convenience store. He also contends that the district court erred in failing to instruct the jury that the Government has to persuade it that the robbery of a local convenience store had a substantial impact on interstate commerce.

The Hobbs Act provides in pertinent part:

“[wjhoever in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or extortion or attempts or conspires so to do, or commits or threatens physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or purpose to do anything in violation of this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.”

18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) (emphasis added).

This court has recently rejected contentions similar to Battle’s in United States v. Morris, 247 F.3d 1080, 1085 (10th Cir. 2001). In Morris, this court held that “the fact that any robbery may have had only a de minimis effect on interstate commerce does not render regulation of that activity an unconstitutional exercise of congressional power.” Id. at 1087.

The Government presented evidence that products sold to Lee’s Phillips 66 for resale were produced outside of Kansas. Some of the money taken during the robbery would have been used to purchase products produced in other states. This interstate nexus satisfied the requirement of the Hobbs Act that interstate commerce be affected in “any way or degree” by a robbery. See United States v. Nguyen, 155 F.3d 1219, 1224 (10th Cir.1998) (applying the Hobbs Act where a local restaurant purchased products originating from out-of-state and the money taken during the robbery would have been used to purchase out-of-state items). The district court did not err in rejecting Battle’s proposed jury instructions that stated that the Government was required to persuade the jury that the robbery of Lee’s Philips 66 had a substantial effect on interstate commerce.

Battle forthrightly acknowledges that his challenge to the application of the Hobbs Act to the robbery of a local business “has been repeatedly rejected by different panels of this court.” He also concedes that “[ajbsent an intervening change in the law, which is not present in this case, or en banc review, we cannot review the judgment of another panel of this court.” United States v. Chanthadara,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Sanders
133 F.4th 341 (Fifth Circuit, 2025)
United States v. Jacobo
Tenth Circuit, 2025
United States v. Barrett
102 F.4th 60 (Second Circuit, 2024)
United States v. Israel Palacios
982 F.3d 920 (Fourth Circuit, 2020)
United States v. Ventura
Second Circuit, 2018
United States v. Melgar-Cabrera
892 F.3d 1053 (Tenth Circuit, 2018)
United States v. Nina
Second Circuit, 2018
United States v. Eric Dillon
Seventh Circuit, 2018
United States v. Anthony Gonzales
841 F.3d 339 (Fifth Circuit, 2016)
United States v. Ortiz
611 F. App'x 504 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Jose Bran
776 F.3d 276 (Fourth Circuit, 2015)
United States v. Young
561 F. App'x 85 (Second Circuit, 2014)
United States v. Hargrove
558 F. App'x 807 (Tenth Circuit, 2014)
United States v. Bran
963 F. Supp. 2d 486 (E.D. Virginia, 2013)
United States v. Frierson
698 F.3d 1267 (Tenth Circuit, 2012)
United States v. Berrios
676 F.3d 118 (Third Circuit, 2012)
United States v. Garcia-Ortiz
657 F.3d 25 (First Circuit, 2011)
United States v. Julian
633 F.3d 1250 (Eleventh Circuit, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
289 F.3d 661, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 8868, 2002 WL 922721, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-battle-ca10-2002.