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Tenth Circuit: District Court Plainly Erred in Giving Erroneous Constructive Possession of Firearm Instruction, Conviction Reversed
by Douglas Ankney
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed Fernando Miguel Samora’s conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm because the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah gave the jury an erroneous instruction on constructive possession.
In May 2017, Samora borrowed ...
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More from this issue:
- SCOTUS ‘Shadow Docket’ Secretly Pushes Agendas, Issues Major Rulings Without Argument or Public Knowledge, by Dale Chappell
- The Junk Science Cops Use to Decide You’re Lying, by Jordan Smith
- From the Editors
- California Court of Appeal Grants Habeas Relief Over Failure to Instruct Jury on ‘Heat of Passion’, by Dale Chappell
- Attacking the Guilty Plea: The Art of Withdrawing a Guilty Plea, by Dale Chappell
- Fourth Circuit: Releasee Under First Step Act Can’t ‘Bank’ Extra Time Spent in Prison Toward Future Supervised Release Violation, by Dale Chappell
- New Hampshire Supreme Court Announces Defendant Not Required to Identify Evidentiary Support for Noticed Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Sixth Circuit Reverses District Court’s Grant of Summary Judgment to Defendants in § 1983 Suit Against City and Police Officers, by Douglas Ankney
- Ninth Circuit Clarifies Use of Rule 60(b) for Changes in Law, by Dale Chappell
- Nebraska Supreme Court Announces Remand for New Sentencing Hearing Appropriate Remedy for Enhanced Vehicular Homicide Sentence Without Evidence of Prior Convictions, by Douglas Ankney
- Study Exposes Public Defender Plea Negotiation Practices and Suggests New Negotiation Theory, by David Reutter
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces New Rules for Awarding Presentencing Credit, by Anthony Accurso
- Government Agencies Expand Use of Private Companies to Bypass Constitution, by Casey Bastian
- California Supreme Court Announces New Time Limit for Habeas ‘Appeal’ Stages, Clarifying Tolling for Federal Habeas Petitioners, by Dale Chappell
- Defense Officials: Law Enforcement in Military Garb not Appropriate, by Casey Bastian
- South Carolina Supreme Court: Failure to Give Logan Instruction Not Harmless Error Where Evidence Almost Entirely Circumstantial, by Douglas Ankney
- Justice Sotomayor Raises Due Process Concerns Over Eleventh Circuit’s Use of Published Successive Habeas Denial Orders, by Dale Chappell
- Colorado Supreme Court: Prosecution Prohibited From Arguing Defendant’s Failure to Retreat Showed Lack of Fear, Undermining Claim of Self-Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Seventh Circuit: District Court Abused Discretion by Denying Relief Without First Considering Recalculations Under First Step Act, by Douglas Ankney
- California Supreme Court Vacates LWOP Sentence After Its Recent Cases Clarifying ‘Special Circumstance’ Murder, by Dale Chappell
- Arizona Supreme Court Announces Cumulative Error Framework for Reviewing Multiple Instances of Prosecutorial Misconduct, by Douglas Ankney
- Indiana Supreme Court: Must Be Immediate Causal Connection Between Confrontation and Other Crime by Defendant to Negate Self-Defense, by Douglas Ankney
- Seventh Circuit: Sentences for ‘Non-Covered’ Offenses Can Also Be Reduced Under First Step Act, by Dale Chappell
- Ninth Circuit: Police Violate Fourth Amendment Executing Administrative Warrant Where Primary Purpose Is Gathering Evidence for Criminal Investigation, by Douglas Ankney
- Interactions Between Diabetics and Law Enforcement Can Become Life-Threatening, by Casey Bastian
- Fourth Circuit Grants ‘SOS’ § 2254 Petition Attacking Three-Decade-Old Murder Conviction Based on New Evidence, by Dale Chappell
- Washington Federal Court: Looking at Lock Phone Screen Requires Warrant, by Anthony Accurso
- North Carolina Supreme Court: Defendant Can’t Be Convicted of Both Habitual Misdemeanor Assault and Felony Assault for Same Act, by Douglas Ankney
- Michigan Supreme Court: Probation Compliance Check During Unlawfully Extended Probation Was Unauthorized Warrantless Search, by Matthew Clarke
- Medical Experts Publish Guidelines on SUDC, by Douglas Ankney
- Successful Alternatives to Armed Police Response, by Edward Lyon
- Tenth Circuit: District Court Plainly Erred in Giving Erroneous Constructive Possession of Firearm Instruction, Conviction Reversed, by Douglas Ankney
- Second Circuit: District Court’s Failure to Offer Explanation for Its Sentence Constitutes Plain Error, by Douglas Ankney
- SCOTUS Goes Live on Camera, by Jayson Hawkins
- Maryland Court of Appeals Announces Reasonableness Standard in Providing Advice of Rights to Non-English Speaking Drivers, by David Reutter
- Seventh Circuit: Rehaif Creates Defense and Invalidates Defendant’s Guilty Plea, by David Reutter
- Chicago’s Police Torture Reparations, by Jayson Hawkins
- New Jersey Supreme Court: Juror Excused After Partial Verdict Requires Mistrial on Remaining Counts, by Dale Chappell
- Policing and Racial Bias, by Kevin Bliss
- How COVID-19 Forces New Releasees Into ‘Survival Mode’, by Dale Chappell
- From Detroit: How Not to Use Facial Recognition in Policing, by Anthony Accurso
- New Colorado Law Kills Qualified Immunity for Cops, by Dale Chappell
- Minnesota Cops Use Contact Tracing to Track Protestor Networks, by Anthony Accurso
- When Police Caught Lying, the Spin Begins, by Edward Lyon
- Minneapolis: Use of Force Against Blacks 7 Times Higher Than That for Whites, by Kevin Bliss
- Risk Assessment Tools Perpetuate Inherent Biases and Prejudices, by Kevin Bliss
- New York Police Act With Impunity During Protests, by Kevin Bliss
- New ‘Barcode’ System Puts DNA Sample to the Authenticity Test, by Anthony Accurso
- Police Violence and the 14th Amendment, by Jayson Hawkins
- Police Unions Buy Their Way Out of Reform, by Kevin Bliss
- News in Brief
- Protecting Your Phone at Protests, by Douglas Ankney
More from Douglas Ankney:
- Third Circuit Upholds Award of $265,000 to Prisoner Who Was Sexually Assaulted Twice by the Same Guard, Aug. 1, 2025
- Fifth Circuit Announces When Initial § 2255 Petition Not Decided on Merits and Appeals Court Later Recalls Mandate Dismissing Direct Appeal and Affirms Conviction, Subsequent § 2255 Petition Not ‘Second or Successive’ Under AEDPA, Aug. 1, 2025
- $340,000 for Former Massachusetts Prisoner Whose Baby Was Stillborn, July 15, 2025
- New Jersey Supreme Court Refuses Guard’s Challenge to Firing for Failing to Report Kiss with Prisoner, July 15, 2025
- New York City Loses Bid to Withhold Jail Records, July 15, 2025
- Eleventh Circuit Announces New Deliberate Indifference Framework in Dismissing Georgia Prisoner’s Claim for Skipped Anti-Seizure Meds, July 15, 2025
- Washington Jail Settles DOJ Allegations of ADA Noncompliance in Failure to Treat Opioid Use Disorder, July 15, 2025
- Ohio Supreme Court Says Sheriff Must Get and Disclose Records of Private Contractors, July 15, 2025
- Third Circuit Rejects U.S. Sentencing Commission Amended Compassionate Release Policy, July 15, 2025
- South Carolina Prisoners Granted Class-Action Status in Suit Over Low Wages in Prison Industries Jobs, July 15, 2025
More from these topics:
- Illinois Supreme Court Announces Conviction for Attempted First Degree Murder Requires ‘Intent to Kill Without Lawful Justification, Aug. 1, 2025. Jury Instructions, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Inconsistent.
- South Carolina Supreme Court Announces Traditional Four-Element Standard for When Person Has Right to Use Deadly Force in Self-Defense Not Applicable to Non-Deadly Force Self-Defense Analysis, May 15, 2025. Defenses, Jury Instructions.
- Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Standard for Determining Whether a Defendant Is Entitled to Jury Instructions on Self-defense and Defense of Others, May 15, 2025. Defenses, Jury Instructions, Jury Instructions in Jury Room.
- Maryland Supreme Court: Trial Court Abused Its Discretion by Failing to Exercise That Discretion Where It Summarily Refused Requested Jury Instruction Because It Was a Non-Pattern Instruction and ‘Some Evidence’ Supported the Instruction, March 15, 2025. Jury Instructions, Evidence - Failure to Disclose.
- Massachusetts Supreme Court Vacates Threat-Based Conviction on First Amendment Grounds Because Jury Instructions Failed to Include Mens Rea Element Mandated by Counterman for ‘True-Threat’ Conviction, Feb. 15, 2025. Jury Instructions, Resentencing, Threats, Negligence/Reckless Endangerment.
- Georgia Supreme Court Grants Habeas Where Defense Counsel Failed to Understand State Self-Defense Statute Provides Complete Defense to Felony Murder Based on Felon-in-Possession Charge, Oct. 1, 2024. Habeas Corpus, Felon in Possession Statute, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Murder/Felony Murder.
- Ohio Supreme Court Announces Self-Defense Jury Instruction Does Not Require Intent to Harm or Kill Assailant, Oct. 1, 2024. Defenses, Jury Instructions, Motive/Opportunity/Intent/Identity Evidence.
- Fourth Circuit Vacates Where Instructions Failed to Inform Jury That Mens Rea of ‘Knowingly or Intentionally’ Applies to ‘Except as Authorized’ in 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), June 15, 2024. Jury Instructions, Essential Elements of Crime, Mens Rea Element, Elements of Offense, Failure to Instruct on Scienter Requirement.
- Kentucky Supreme Court Clarifies When Lesser-Included Offense Instruction Must Be Provided, Reverses Convictions Based on Trial Court’s Failure to Properly Instruct Jury, Dec. 15, 2023. Jury Instructions, Criminal Procedure, Fair Trial, Verdicts.
- 10th Circuit Reverses Guidelines Enhancement Because Possession of Ammo Does Not Facilitate Possession of a Firearm, Nov. 1, 2023. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Felon in Possession Statute, Stipulations.