Filed: Oct. 04, 2002
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-20735 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus PORTER LEE BUSH, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (H-00-CR-520-ALL) _ October 2, 2002 Before BARKSDALE, DEMOSS, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Porter Lee Bush appeals his conviction and sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) a
Summary: UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 01-20735 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus PORTER LEE BUSH, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (H-00-CR-520-ALL) _ October 2, 2002 Before BARKSDALE, DEMOSS, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Porter Lee Bush appeals his conviction and sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) an..
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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 01-20735
Summary Calendar
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
PORTER LEE BUSH,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________________________________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
(H-00-CR-520-ALL)
________________________________________________________________
October 2, 2002
Before BARKSDALE, DEMOSS, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Porter Lee Bush appeals his conviction and sentence for being
a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§
922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). First, he challenges the denial of his
motion to dismiss the indictment, claiming that, under United
States v. Lopez,
514 U.S. 549 (1995), the Commerce Clause does not
authorize federal courts to prosecute strictly local crimes. Lopez
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
struck down 18 U.S.C. § 922(q), which criminalized possession of a
firearm while in a school zone.
The denial of a motion to dismiss the indictment is reviewed
de novo. United States v. Wilson,
249 F.3d 366, 371 (5th Cir.
2001). Our court has “repeatedly emphasized that the
constitutionality of § 922(g)(1) is not open to question....
Indeed, this court has expressly stated that ‘neither the holding
in Lopez nor the reasons given therefor constitutionally invalidate
§ 922(g)(1)’”. United States v. De Leon,
170 F.3d 494, 499 (5th
Cir.) (quoting United States v. Rawls,
85 F.3d 240, 242 (5th Cir.
1996), cert. denied,
528 U.S. 863 (1999)).
Bush also cites United States v. Bass,
404 U.S. 336, 337
(1971), which interpreted former 18 U.S.C. § 1202(a) (crime for a
felon to receive, possess, or transport any firearm “in commerce or
affecting commerce”). The Court interpreted the possession
component of the statute to require its own nexus to interstate
commerce because the statute was ambiguous and because Congress had
not clearly conveyed its intention to change the federal-state
balance.
Id. at 349. Lopez distinguished Bass, however,
concluding that § 922(q) had no express jurisdictional element that
would require an explicit connection with, or effect on, interstate
commerce.
Lopez, 514 U.S. at 562. Thus, Bush’s reliance on Bass
is misplaced. The district court did not err by denying Bush’s
motion to dismiss.
2
Next, Bush challenges the denial of his motion for a judgment
of acquittal. He claims the evidence was insufficient to show a
“substantial effect” on interstate commerce because it showed
nothing more than mere local possession of the firearm.
The denial of a motion for a judgment of acquittal is reviewed
de novo. United States v. Guerrero,
234 F.3d 259, 261 (5th Cir.
2000), cert. denied,
532 U.S. 1074 (2001). We will affirm if the
evidence is such that a rational trier of fact could have
reasonably found the requisite elements of the offense beyond a
reasonable doubt.
Id. at 262.
Our court does not interpret Lopez to require that the firearm
must have had a “substantial effect” on interstate commerce. If
the firearm previously traveled in interstate commerce, §
922(g)(1)’s “in or affecting [interstate] commerce” element is
satisfied.
Rawls, 85 F.3d at 242.
We also reject Bush’s assertion that the testimony of the
firearms expert was insufficient to establish an interstate nexus.
The Government presented testimony that established Binelli
firearms were made in Italy and were imported to the United States
to Maryland, but not Texas. Accordingly, the jury could reasonably
have inferred that, because Bush possessed a Binelli firearm, it
traveled in interstate commerce. His contention that the
Government was required to show he transported or purchased the
weapon is without merit.
Rawls, 85 F.3d at 242.
3
Finally, Bush claims the district court should not have
concluded that his prior state conviction for the unauthorized use
of a motor vehicle was a “crime of violence” under U.S.S.G.
§ 4B1.2. We review the district court’s application of the
Sentencing Guidelines de novo. E.g., United States v. Charles,
___ F.3d ___,
2002 WL 1764147 at *2 (5th Cir. 31 July 2002) (en
banc).
The district court relied on United States v. Jackson,
220
F.3d 635, 639 (5th Cir. 2000), cert. denied,
532 U.S. 988 (2001),
binding precedent at the time Bush was sentenced, to determine that
Bush’s prior state conviction was a crime of violence. Our en banc
court in Charles overruled Jackson, holding that the crime at issue
in Charles (simple motor vehicle theft) “is a crime of violence
under § 4B1.2(a)(2) only if, from the face of the indictment, the
crime charged or the conduct charged presents a serious potential
risk of injury to a person”.
2002 WL 1764147 at *3.
The charging instrument for Bush’s unauthorized use conviction
is not in the record. In these circumstances, we remand to the
district court for resentencing so that it may “make the required
determination whether the conduct set forth in the count of which
the defendant was convicted ‘presents a serious potential risk of
physical injury to another’”. United States v. Turner,
2002 WL
31002622 at *2 (quoting Charles at *3)
4
Therefore, we AFFIRM Bush’s conviction; VACATE his sentence;
and REMAND to the district court for resentencing in the light of
Charles.
AFFIRMED IN PART; VACATED IN PART; AND REMANDED
5