United States v. Scholz

899 F. Supp. 484, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14567, 1995 WL 581294
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedSeptember 29, 1995
DocketNo. CR-N-94-0075-ECR
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 899 F. Supp. 484 (United States v. Scholz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Scholz, 899 F. Supp. 484, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14567, 1995 WL 581294 (D. Nev. 1995).

Opinion

ORDER

EDWARD C. REED, Jr., District Judge.

The court now rules on Defendant David Scholz’ Motion to Supplement Motion to Dismiss and Motion for Reconsideration (Doc. # 363). Defendant argues (1) that the federal prosecution on narcotics charges violates his constitutional right to be free from double jeopardy for the same offense, and (2) that the United States breached its agreement not to prosecute him in exchange for information. This court has previously ruled from the bench that Mr. Scholz had not sustained the burden of proving the existence of such an agreement (Hearing on Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss, June 5, 1995, Doc. # 76, page 99). Mr. Scholz had moved this court’s reconsideration of that ruling (Motion for Reconsideration, Doc. # 363). This court denied reconsideration of that ruling (Doc. #378). The issue need not be revisited a third time.

The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides, “nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” The Defendant in this ease, David Scholz, argues that his federal prosecution on drug trafficking charges, following as it does an earlier drug prosecution by the State of Nevada, is barred by the Double Jeopardy Clause.

The issue is whether the federal prosecution is for the “same offense” as that covered by the state prosecution. The United States Supreme Court recently renewed its allegiance to the “same offense” test originally announced in Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 52 S.Ct. 180, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932). In United States v. Dixon, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 2849, 125 L.Ed.2d 556 (1993), the Court read Blockburger to require that the Double Jeopardy Clause be applied to bar new criminal prosecution where each element of the offense charged appeared in both prior and present prosecutions. Dixon, — U.S. at -, 113 S.Ct. at 2856. In other words, a second criminal prosecution of the same defendant for the same conduct does not violate the Double Jeopardy Clause if the offense charged in the second prosecution requires proof of some element not required in the first prosecution.

Here, Mr. Scholz was prosecuted first by the State of Nevada for possession of marijuana with intent to sell. Subsequently the United States charged Mr. Scholz with violations of a number of federal criminal narcotics statutes. In addressing Mr. Scholz’s Double Jeopardy claim, the respective statutes must be analyzed under the Blockburger “same offense” test.

[486]*486The Nevada statute, Nev.Rev.Stat. § 458.337 (1991), under which Mr. Scholz was prosecuted in the state court, requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had dominion and control over the controlled substance and knowledge of its presence and its illegal nature, Sanders v. State, 110 Nev. 434, 874 P.2d 1239 (1994), and that the defendant possessed the substance in an amount sufficient for sale or consumption as a controlled substance with the specific intent to sell the same, California Jury Instructions, Criminal § 12.01 (5th ed., 1993 Rev.).

The defendant pled guilty to Counts 1 and 20 of the federal indictment (see Presentenee Investigation Report and Memorandum of Plea Agreement). Count 1 charged violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 and § 841(a)(1) and (b)(l)(A)(vii) (conspiracy to manufacture and to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 (aiding and abetting). Count 20 charged violation of 21 U.S.C. § 856(a)(1) (maintaining a place for manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 (aiding and abetting).

Therefore, as to Count 1 of the federal indictment, there is no double jeopardy; Count 1 requires proof of an element not required by the state statute under which Mr. Scholz was prosecuted in the state court, namely, the existence of a conspiracy.

Although the elements of the state statute prohibiting possession with intent to sell, Nev.Rev.Stat. § 453.337, and the federal statute prohibiting possession with intent to distribute, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), are identical, the United States has indicted Mr. Scholz for conspiracy.

A substantive crime and a conspiracy to commit that crime are not the “same offense” for the purposes of a double jeopardy claim, even if based on the same incidents: The essence of the charge of conspiracy is an agreement to commit a crime, hence the two prosecutions do not involve the same conduct. United States v. Felix, 503 U.S. 378, 112 S.Ct. 1377, 118 L.Ed.2d 25 (1992).

Count 20 of the federal indictment, concerning as it does the maintenance of a illicit drug manufacturing facility, is an entirely different offense from that for which the defendant was prosecuted by Nevada. Thus, under Blockburger, there is no double jeopardy with respect to Count 20.

Furthermore, even if the crimes of which the defendant was convicted by the state court were constitutionally identical to the federal charges to which he has pled guilty, the federal prosecution would not violate the Double Jeopardy Clause. Successive prosecutions based on the same conduct are constitutional if brought by separate sovereigns, i.e. the state and federal governments. United States v. Koon, 34 F.3d 1416, 1438 (9th Cir.1994) (citing Heath v. Alabama, 474 U.S. 82, 106 S.Ct. 433, 88 L.Ed.2d 387 (1985)); see also United States v. Guy, 903 F.2d 1240, 1242 (9th Cir.1990).

There is an exception to the “dual sovereignty” doctrine: If the second prosecution, otherwise constitutional, is not pursued to vindicate the separate interests of the second sovereign, but is merely pursued as a sham on behalf of the sovereign first to prosecute, it may be subject to a successful “double jeopardy challenge.” Guy, 903 F.2d at 1242 (citing Bartkus v. Illinois, 359 U.S. 121, 79 S.Ct. 676, 3 L.Ed.2d 684 (1959)); see also United States v. Figueroa-Soto, 938 F.2d 1015, 1018-19 (9th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1098, 112 S.Ct. 1181, 117 L.Ed.2d 424 (1992).

In order to establish a so-called Bart-kus

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Bluebook (online)
899 F. Supp. 484, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14567, 1995 WL 581294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-scholz-nvd-1995.