United States v. Leo Earl Gamblin, Jr.

107 F.3d 22, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 6789, 1997 WL 76022
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 24, 1997
Docket95-6442
StatusPublished

This text of 107 F.3d 22 (United States v. Leo Earl Gamblin, Jr.) 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. Leo Earl Gamblin, Jr., 107 F.3d 22, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 6789, 1997 WL 76022 (10th Cir. 1997).

Opinion

107 F.3d 22

97 CJ C.A.R. 319

NOTICE: Although citation of unpublished opinions remains unfavored, unpublished opinions may now be cited if the opinion has persuasive value on a material issue, and a copy is attached to the citing document or, if cited in oral argument, copies are furnished to the Court and all parties. See General Order of November 29, 1993, suspending 10th Cir. Rule 36.3 until December 31, 1995, or further order.

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Leo Earl GAMBLIN, Jr., Defendant-Appellant.

Case No. 95-6442

United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.

Feb. 24, 1997.

Before PORFILIO, McWILLIAMS, and HENRY, Circuit Judges.

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

Defendant-appellant Leo Earl Gamblin, Jr. was charged under 26 U.S.C. § 5861(e) and 18 U.S.C. § 371 for conspiracy to transfer unregistered firearms, and under 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 for possession, and aiding and abetting the possession, of an unregistered firearm. He was convicted on all counts and sentenced to 63 months imprisonment.

On appeal, Mr. Gamblin argues that the district court erred in excluding evidence during his trial and in calculating his sentence. He contends that the district court incorrectly precluded him during trial from cross-examining a government explosives expert about whether the grenades appeared to be inert. He also argues that the district court improperly based his sentence on findings: (1) that he was not a "minimal" or "minor" participant in the criminal activity, and (2) that he possessed the grenades "in connection with another felony offense." We exercise jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

One evening, Mr. Gamblin drove Anthony Wolfe, Travis Johnson, and Bridgette Smith to a gas station to purchase crack cocaine. Once there, Mr. Wolfe entered the dealer's truck and bought the cocaine while the others remained in Mr. Gamblin's car. Mr. Wolfe returned to Mr. Gamblin's car with the cocaine and a box containing ten hand grenades, which he had traded to the dealer about a week earlier for cocaine. The dealer had apparently soured on the grenades-for-drugs deal and returned the grenades.

Mr. Gamblin drove his companions to his home, where Mr. Wolfe told him about the grenades. Mr. Wolfe brought the grenades into the house and used Mr. Gamblin's telephone to find a purchaser for them. The group passed around one of the grenades for everyone to examine.

Later that evening, Mr. Gamblin drove Mr. Wolfe to Mr. Johnson's residence to purchase more cocaine. Once there, Mr. Wolfe traded Mr. Johnson two grenades for some cocaine.

Still later that evening, Mr. Gamblin drove Mr. Wolfe to a motel parking lot to sell grenades to David Reese, who happened to be a government informant. After the transaction was complete, Mr. Gamblin and Mr. Wolfe were arrested.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Evidentiary Ruling

Mr. Gamblin argues that the district court incorrectly precluded him during trial from cross-examining a government explosives expert about whether the grenades appeared to be inert. Mr. Gamblin sought to elicit testimony that blue spoons on the grenades indicated they were unarmed, in order to suggest that he did not know they could detonate. The district court disallowed the proposed questioning on the grounds that: (1) the government did not have to prove that Mr. Gamblin knew the grenades could detonate, and (2) the questions would cause jury confusion that could not be cured by instruction. See Rec. vol. V at 459 (Trial transcript).

Trial judges have wide latitude under the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause to impose reasonable limits on cross-examination to avoid, among other things, confusion of the issues and interrogation that is only marginally relevant. See Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 679 (1986). Claims that confrontation rights have been violated are reviewed de novo. See Miranda v. Cooper, 967 F.2d 392, 401 (10th Cir.1992).

Mr. Gamblin argues that the district court erroneously concluded that the government did not have to prove he knew the grenades could detonate. He relies primarily on Staples v. United States, 511 U.S. 600 (1994). In Staples, the defendant was charged, like Mr. Gamblin, with possessing an unregistered firearm. Id. at 602-04. The firearm Mr. Staples possessed was a semiautomatic rifle that had been modified for fully automatic fire. Id. at 603. Such conversion shows no externally visible signs that would alert a person to the firearm's ability to fire automatically. See id. at 615.

The Supreme Court held that the government was required to prove that Mr. Staples knew of the automatic-fire capability that brought the firearm within the statutory prohibition. Id. at 602. The Court reasoned that gun ownership has traditionally been widely accepted, id. at 612, and that it was unlikely that Congress intended to impose severe criminal penalties on persons who only had knowledge of traditionally lawful conduct. Id. at 615.

The Court cautioned that its holding was "narrow," emphasizing: "[O]ur reasoning depends upon a commonsense evaluation of the nature of the particular device or substance Congress has subjected to regulation and the expectations that individuals may legitimately have in dealing with the regulated items." Id. at 619. The Court explicitly distinguished grenades from guns, noting that the former have a "quasi-suspect character" and no tradition of lawful ownership. Id. at 612.

The "quasi-suspect" character of hand grenades means that the government does not have to prove that a defendant knew of the destructive capability that subjects the grenades to statutory regulation. As the Court observed in United States v. Freed, 401 U.S. 601 (1971): "one would hardly be surprised to learn that possession of hand grenades is not an innocent act." Id. at 609.

Because the proposed cross-examination concerned whether Mr. Gamblin knew the grenades were armed, it was irrelevant. Therefore, the district judge properly precluded it.

The other case on which Mr. Gamblin relies, United States v. Reindeau, 947 F.2d 32 (2d Cir.1991), is not on point. In Reindeau, the defendants were charged, like Mr. Gamblin, with possessing an unregistered firearm. Id. at 33. During trial, the defendants sought to cross-examine a government witness about whether the device in question was actually a "destructive device," as defined in the statute--whether it was, in fact, a firecracker rather than a pipe bomb. Id. at 34-35.

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Related

United States v. Freed
401 U.S. 601 (Supreme Court, 1971)
Delaware v. Van Arsdall
475 U.S. 673 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Smith v. United States
508 U.S. 223 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Bailey v. United States
516 U.S. 137 (Supreme Court, 1995)
United States v. Bruce
78 F.3d 1506 (Tenth Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Antonio Arredondo-Santos
911 F.2d 424 (Tenth Circuit, 1990)
United States v. Lynette Carter
971 F.2d 597 (Tenth Circuit, 1992)
United States v. Kenneth Daniel West
986 F.2d 1431 (Tenth Circuit, 1993)
United States v. Heriberto Gomez-Arrellano
5 F.3d 464 (Tenth Circuit, 1993)
United States v. Sherron K. Ballard
16 F.3d 1110 (Tenth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Spire Warren Routon
25 F.3d 815 (Ninth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Miguel Sandoval
29 F.3d 537 (Tenth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Charles Verdel Farnsworth
92 F.3d 1001 (Tenth Circuit, 1996)
Staples v. United States
511 U.S. 600 (Supreme Court, 1994)
United States v. Williamson
53 F.3d 1500 (Tenth Circuit, 1995)
United States v. Sullivan
919 F.2d 1403 (Tenth Circuit, 1990)

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Bluebook (online)
107 F.3d 22, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 6789, 1997 WL 76022, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-leo-earl-gamblin-jr-ca10-1997.