United States v. Mann

982 F. Supp. 2d 1251, 2013 WL 6037681, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164928
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedNovember 7, 2013
DocketCr. No. 11-1528
StatusPublished

This text of 982 F. Supp. 2d 1251 (United States v. Mann) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Mann, 982 F. Supp. 2d 1251, 2013 WL 6037681, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164928 (D.N.M. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ORDER AND OPINION

JAMES A. PARKER, Senior District Judge.

On July 26, 2013, Defendant, Clay O’Brien Mann, moved to arrest judgment on two convictions that resulted from his jury trial.1 DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO ARREST JUDGMENT (Doc. No. 119) (Motion to Arrest). Defendant seeks relief from convictions of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A) as charged in Count 2 and Count 5 of the Indictment. The Government opposes Defendant’s Motion to Arrest. UNITED STATES’ RESPONSE TO MOTION TO ARREST JUDGMENT (Doc. No. 129) (Response). The Court will grant the motion in part by vacating the conviction as to Count 2 and will deny the motion as to Count 5.

BACKGROUND

A. The Jury Trial

On June 7, 2011, a grand jury returned an eight-count Indictment charging Defendant with: (1) first degree murder for shooting Mr. Ames Jim; (2) discharging a firearm during a crime of violence (the crime of violence being first degree murder as charged in Count 1); (3) assault with intent to do serious bodily injury for shooting Ms. Paula Nez; (4) assault resulting in serious bodily injury for shooting Ms. Paula Nez; (5) discharging a firearm during a crime of violence (the crime of violence being the assault charged in Count 4); (6) assault with intent to do serious bodily injury for shooting Mr. Mark Bolding; (7) assault resulting in serious bodily injury for shooting Mr. Mark Bolding; and (8) discharging a firearm during a crime of violence (the crime of violence being assault resulting in serious bodily injury as charged in Count 6). REDACTED INDICTMENT (Doc. No. 33). The charges arose from a July 24, 2010 shooting incident.

On July 8, 2013, the case proceeded to trial. On July 12, 2013, during jury deliberations, the jury sent the Court questions, which reflected confusion about Count 8 of the Indictment. It became clear that Count 8 was written incorrectly; it referred to “assault resulting in serious bodily injury as charged in Count 6,” which was confusing because the assault resulting in serious bodily injury was charged in Count 7. Because of the defect and the resulting confusion, the Court dismissed Count 8 without prejudice.

After further deliberation, the jury convicted Defendant on five of the remaining [1254]*1254seven counts: (1) involuntary manslaughter, a lesser included offense of first degree murder; (2) discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence (the crime of violence being involuntary manslaughter); (3) assault resulting in serious bodily injury for shooting Ms. Paula Nez; (4) discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence (the crime of violence being assault resulting in serious bodily injury for shooting Ms. Paula Nez); and (5) assault resulting in serious bodily injury for shooting Mr. Mark Bolding. REDACTED VERDICT AS TO COUNT ONE (Doc. No. 117); REDACTED VERDICT AS TO COUNTS TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN AND EIGHT (Doc. No. 118). The jury acquitted Defendant of both counts (3 and 6) of assault with intent to do serious bodily injury. In addition, the jury acquitted Defendant of first degree murder, second degree murder, and voluntary manslaughter. Id.

B. The Jury Instructions

Prior to jury deliberations, the Court instructed the jury on the elements of each offense. In Jury Instruction No. 10, the Court explained Count 2 of the Indictment. See COURT’S JURY INSTRUCTIONS AS TO CLAY O’BRIEN MANN (Doc. No. 99) (Jury Instructions). The instruction states, in relevant part:

To find the defendant guilty of this crime you must be convinced that the government has proved each of the following beyond a reasonable doubt:
First: the defendant committed either the crime of first degree murder, as charged in count 1 of the Indictment, or that the defendant committed second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter. You are instructed that any of these crimes is a crime of violence.
Second: the defendant used or carried a firearm;
Third: during and in relation to first degree murder, as charged in count 1 of the Indictment, or that the defendant committed second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter.

The Court defined “using” a firearm as having the firearm “readily accessible” and actively employing the firearm. It informed the jury that the lesser included offenses of first degree murder, including involuntary manslaughter, are crimes of violence under 18 U.S.C. § 924.

In Jury Instruction No. 13, the Court explained Count 5 of the Indictment. Like Jury Instruction No. 10, Jury Instruction No. 13 informed the jury that it should convict on Count 5 of the Indictment if the Defendant “used or carried a firearm” during and in relation to the crime of violence.

The language of the verdict form completed by the jury differed from the language in the jury instructions. The verdict form allowed the jury to convict the Defendant of “discharging a firearm” in furtherance of an act of violence. REDACTED VERDICT AS TO COUNTS TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN AND EIGHT (Doc. No. 118).

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review — Plain Error

Defendant presents two arguments: (1) the Court should arrest judgment on Count 2 because involuntary manslaughter is not a crime of violence, and (2) the Court should arrest judgment on Counts 2 and 5 because the jury was not instructed that discharging a firearm was an element of the offense.2 Defendant’s arguments [1255]*1255stem from alleged errors in the jury instructions. The Court instructed the jury that involuntary manslaughter was a crime of violence and could support a conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1). In addition, the Court did not instruct the jury on discharging a firearm, although the verdict form allowed the jury to convict the Defendant for discharging a firearm. Defendant did not object to the jury instructions at trial.

Failure to timely object to a jury instruction generally “precludes appellate review.” Fed.R.Crim.P. 30 (an objection to a jury instruction must be entered “before the jury retires to deliberate”). However, a defendant who fails to preserve an error is entitled to relief if he can establish plain error. Id.; Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b). The Supreme Court has confirmed that plain error review is the appropriate standard when a jury instruction omits an element of the offense and the defendant fails to object to the instruction at trial. See Neder v. United States, 527 U.S. 1, 8-9, 119 S.Ct. 1827, 144 L.Ed.2d 35 (1999) (failing to submit an element to the jury is not structural error and does not require reversal if it is harmless) (citing Johnson v. United States,

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Bluebook (online)
982 F. Supp. 2d 1251, 2013 WL 6037681, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164928, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-mann-nmd-2013.