United States v. Villalobos-Macias

280 F. Supp. 3d 1211
District Court, D. New Mexico·Decided November 29, 2017·No. No. 17-cr-182 MCA·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

M. CHRISTINA ARMIJO, Chief United States District Judge

THIS MATTER is before the Court on Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Count One of the Indictment for Improper Venue [Doc. 16]. The Court has considered the parties’ submissions and the relevant law, and is otherwise fully informed. For the following reasons, the Court DENIES Defendant’s Motion.

I. Background

Defendant was charged in a four-count Indictment with carjacking (Count 1) and attempted carjacking (count 2), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119, and with using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (Counts 3 and 4). [Doc. 2] Counts 1 and 3 allege conduct that occurred in Pueblo County, Colorado, and Counts 2 and 4 allege conduct that occurred in Mora County, New Mexico. [Doc. 2]

The Government that Defendant engaged in the following conduct. On December 28, 2016, Defendant approached P.J. at the Pinon Rest Stop, which is at mile marker 112 off of southbound Interstate 25 outside of Pueblo, Colorado. [Doc. 16; Doc. 20] Defendant pointed a revolver at P.J., then fired the weapon. [Doc. 16; Doc. 20] Either with the shot or by using the gun as a club, Defendant shattered the driver’s side window. [Doc. 16; Doc. 20] As P.J. fled, she threw her purse near the back of the vehicle. [Doc. 16; Doc. 20] Defendant picked up the purse and drove PJ.’s vehicle out of the parking lot and south on Interstate 25. [Doc. 16; Doc. 20]

The Government further alleges that sometime later1 and while still in possession of P.J.’s vehicle, Defendant used the same revolver to attempt to carjack a second vehicle on Interstate 25 near Wagon Mound, New Mexico. [Doc. 20; Doc. 2 (Count 2) ] During this encounter, Defendant fired the revolver and injured J.K. in the hand. [Doc. 20] He then drove away in PJ.’s car. [Doc. 20] He was intercepted and arrested on Interstate 25 after a brief chase. [Doc. 20; Doc. 16 (stating that Defendant was arrested “approximately three hours” after the incident in ^Colorado) ]

The carjacking statute (§ 2119) provides that;

Whoever, with the intent- to cause death ■or serious- bodily harm takes a motor vehicle that- has been transported, shipped, or received in interstate or foreign commerce from the person, or presence of another by force and violence or by intimidation, or attempts, to do so, shall— '
(1) be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both,
(2) if serious bodily injury -... results, be fined under this title or imprisoned pot more-than 25 years, .or both, and
(3) if death results, be fined under this title or imprisoned for any number of years up to life, or both, or sentenced to death.

18 U.S.C. § 2119 (footnote omitted). Count 1 of the Indictment charges Defendant with carjacking as follows:

On or about December 28, 2016, in Pueblo County, in the District of Colorado, and elsewhere, the defendant, JUAN CARLOS VILLALOB OS-MACIAS, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm, did take a motor vehicle, a white Toyota RAV4, bearing Colorado license'plate number 113VGK, that had been shipped, transported, and received in interstate commerce, from the person and presence of another, by force, violence, and intimidation, resulting in serious bodily injury, a bullet wound to the hand that'caused extreme physical pain and impairment' of the function of a bodily member to J.K.

In violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119.

[Doc. 2] Thus, Count 1 of the Indictment charges Defendant with- violation' of § 2119(2) by taking a vehicle by force from P.J, which resulted in bodily injury to J.K.

Defendant now moves to dismiss Count 1 of the Indictment on the ground that New Mexico is not the proper venue for this charge. [Doc. 16]

II. Discussion

A. Láw on Venue

The right to be tried in the place where the crime was committed is protected in multiple ways, “The Constitution twice safeguards the defendant’s venue right: Article III, § 2, cl. 3, instructs that ‘Trial of all Crimes ... shall be held in the State where the said Crimes, shall have been committed’ [and] the Sixth Amendment calls for trial ‘by ’ an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.’” United States v. Cabrales, 524 U.S. 1, 6, 118 S.Ct. 1772, 141 L.Ed.2d 1 (1998). In addition, “Rule 18 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, providing that ‘prosecution shall be had in a district in which the offense was committed,’ echoes the constitutional commands.” Id.; see also Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b)(3)(a)(1) (providing for pre-trial motions based on “improper .venue”). Congress addressed venue for crimes that are committed in more than one district in 18 U.S.C. § 3237(a), which provides:

Except as otherwise expressly provided by enactment of Congress, any offense against the Unifed States begun in one district and completed in another, or committed in more than one district, may be inquired of and prosecuted in any district in which such offense was begun, continued, or completed.
Any offense involving the use of the mails, transportation in interstate or foreign commerce, or the importation of an object or person into the United States is a continuing offense and, except.as otherwise, expressly provided by enactment of Congress, may be inquired of and prosecuted in any district from, through, or into which such commerce, mail matter, or imported object or person moves.

When a criminal statute does not specify the proper venue; “ ‘the place at which the crime was committed ‘must be determined from the nature of the crime alleged and the location of the act or acts constituting it.’ ” United States v. Cryar, 232 F.3d 1318, 1321 (10th Cir. 2000) (quoting United States v. Medina-Ramos, 834 F.2d 874, 876 (10th Cir. 1987); see United States v.

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United States v. Villalobos-Macias, 280 F. Supp. 3d 1211 (D.N.M. 2017).

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