United States v. Knight

562 F.3d 1314, 51 A.L.R. 6th 551, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 6594
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedMarch 25, 2009
Docket08-10050, 08-10054
StatusPublished
Cited by91 cases

This text of 562 F.3d 1314 (United States v. Knight) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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. Knight, 562 F.3d 1314, 51 A.L.R. 6th 551, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 6594 (11th Cir. 2009).

Opinion

*1319 PRYOR, Circuit Judge:

The main issue in this appeal is whether a violation of the speedy trial clause of the Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act, 18 U.S.C.App. 2 § 2, Art. IY(c), can be harmless when the United States is the receiving state. We conclude that it can be. Robert Knight appeals his conviction and sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). Knight challenges the denial of his motion to suppress, the sufficiency of the evidence against him, and the denial of his motions to dismiss his indictment with prejudice for violations of the right to a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment, the Speedy Trial Act, and the Detainers Act, and the right to due process under the Fifth Amendment. We conclude that the district court did not err when it denied Knight’s motion to suppress; the evidence against Knight was sufficient; the violation of the speedy trial clause of the Detainers Act was harmless; and the district court did not err when it denied on other grounds Knight’s motions to dismiss his indictment with prejudice. We also conclude, as the United States concedes, that the district court erred when it failed to credit Knight for time that he served in state custody. We affirm Knight’s conviction, vacate his sentence, and remand for further proceedings.

I. BACKGROUND

Our discussion of the background of this prosecution is divided in five parts. First, we discuss the facts leading to Knight’s arrest and indictment in state and federal court. Second, we discuss the facts related to Knight’s transfer to federal custody. Third, we discuss the pretrial proceedings that resulted in the dismissal without prejudice of Knight’s first indictment. Fourth, we discuss Knight’s second federal indictment and the pretrial proceedings related to that indictment. Fifth, we discuss Knight’s conviction and sentence.

A. Facts Leading to Knight’s Arrest and Indictment in State and Federal Court

On May 15, 2004, officers Craig Schmidt and L.W. Wagaman were performing traffic duties at a public gathering at a park in Atlanta. The officers stopped three men in a blue Chevrolet Impala after they heard loud music emanating from the car and saw that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. As the officers approached the car, they could smell a strong odor of marijuana. Wagaman also noticed a red cup in the car that appeared to contain an alcoholic beverage. After the driver argued with Wagaman about the traffic stop and having to produce identification, Wagaman asked the driver to exit the car, patted him down, and discovered a firearm on him. Wagaman then handcuffed the driver and escorted him to the police car.

While Wagaman was interacting with the driver, Schmidt noticed that Knight, who was seated behind the driver’s seat, appeared nervous. Schmidt saw Knight reach into his front pocket, pull out a firearm, and place it on the floorboard. Schmidt drew his firearm and, assisted by Wagaman who had also drawn his firearm, ordered Knight and the other occupant, seated in the front passenger seat of the car, to show their hands. Schmidt removed Knight from the car, put him on the ground, handcuffed him, and patted him down. Knight had on his person ammunition that matched the .22 caliber firearm on the floorboard, marijuana, and money. The officers discovered that the firearm was a .22 caliber Jennings semiautomatic *1320 pistol and had a fully loaded clip and a chambered round. Schmidt and Wagaman performed an inventory search of the car and smelled alcohol in the red cup.

When Wagaman was transferring Knight from the police car to the DeKalb County Jail, Wagaman replaced Knight’s metal handcuffs with flex cuffs. Knight wrenched away from Wagaman, dislocated Wagaman’s shoulder, and ran to a nearby fence. Other officers restrained Knight and took him to the DeKalb County Jail. Two days later, Knight escaped during his transfer for a court appearance. Knight was rearrested in 2005.

Knight was indicted, separately, in DeKalb County for multiple charges related to the traffic stop and for his later escape from custody. On September 29, 2005, a federal grand jury indicted Knight for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Knight later pleaded guilty in state court to the charges of escape and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. In deference to the federal indictment, the state court deferred prosecution of the indictment related to the traffic stop.

B. Knight’s Transfer to Federal Custody

Federal authorities lodged a detainer against Knight that required state authorities to hold him even if he posted bond for his state charges. Marcos Bess and Benjamin Gibbons, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, interviewed Knight while he was in state custody. Agent Bess testified that he was aware that he was investigating Knight in connection with the same traffic stop for which Knight was being held in state custody.

Bess informed Knight of his rights and asked whether Knight had an attorney. Knight said that he had an attorney for the state charges but did not think he would use the same attorney to defend him in the federal case. Bess did not contact Knight’s attorney before he interviewed Knight. The interview between Bess and Knight lasted between 45 minutes and an hour.

Knight admitted that he had given his girlfriend money to purchase firearms on his behalf and stated that he bought the guns for self-protection. Knight did not ask for an attorney or ask to end the interview, and Bess did not promise Knight anything in return for his testimony except that he would tell the prosecutor that Knight confessed.

On December 9, 2005, a magistrate judge issued a writ of habeas corpus ad prosequendum that required Georgia authorities to deliver Knight to federal custody. On December 16, 2005, Knight was transferred to federal custody and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

C. Pretrial Proceedings Leading to Dismissal of Knight’s First Federal Indictment

On January 3 and 4, 2006, Knight moved to suppress his statements and physical evidence. A suppression hearing was held on February 15, 2006, and Knight ultimately withdrew those motions on March 30, 2006.

On February 24, 2006, Knight moved pro se to dismiss his indictment for a violation of the 30-days-to-indict clause of the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161(b). The magistrate judge recommended the denial of Knight’s motion because Knight had been indicted before his transfer to federal custody. The district court adopted the report and recommendation and denied Knight’s motion.

On August 22, 2006, Knight moved to dismiss the indictment based on pretrial delay in violation of the Sixth Amendment, *1321 the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 3161

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Bluebook (online)
562 F.3d 1314, 51 A.L.R. 6th 551, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 6594, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-knight-ca11-2009.