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427 F.2d 1164

Docket No. 25031.

United States v. Smith

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Decided May 6, 1970.

Rehearing Denied June 8, 1970.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals · decided 1970-05-06

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently May 1970

1 federal appellate ·

2 counsel of record

Relies on Leary v. United States · Turner v. United States · Dyer v. MacDougall

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Opinion by (per_curiam) · Decided 1970-05-06

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¶1Howard R. Lonergan (argued), Portland, Or., for appellant.

¶2Sidney I. Lezak (argued), U. S. Atty., Portland, Or., for appellee.

¶3Before CHAMBERS and WRIGHT, Circuit Judges, and BOLDT, District Judge.*

¶5PER CURIAM:

¶6The judgment appealed from is affirmed.

¶7On the point of failure of proof, whatever shortage of direct evidence there is, sufficient circumstantial evidence is found to give the necessary inferences and to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Also, disbelief by the jury of defendant’s testimony would here present some damaging affirmative inferences.

¶8The decision in Turner v. United States, 396 U.S. 398, 90 S.Ct. 642, 24 L.Ed.2d 610 (1970), vitiates in this heroin case defendant’s point on the application of Leary v. United States, 395 U.S. 6, 89 S.Ct. 1532, 23 L.Ed.2d 57 (1969).

¶9The trial court gave an instruction on aiding and abetting to which objection was made. We are inclined to believe that the instruction was not inappropriate, but if it was not required, we would consider it really harmless.

¶10ORDER ON PETITION FOR REHEARING

¶11PER CURIAM:

¶12The petition for rehearing is denied. See United States v. Arcuri, 2 Cir., 405 F.2d 691; Dyer v. MacDougall, 2 Cir., 201 F.2d 265, and United States v. Ford, 2 Cir., 237 F.2d 57.

¶13Appellant relies on our case of Murray v. United States, 9 Cir., 403 F.2d 694. We think the case is right in reversing the conviction as to Lonnie Murray. Certainly disbelief of his and his brother’s testimony could not lead to an inference of all of the elements of the crime as to Lonnie. Disbelief of Lonnie’s testimony might lead to the inference that Lonnie knew his brother, Johnnie, was carrying the heroin. But still it could not be used as proof of joint enterprise which was necessary to convict Lonnie.

¶14*1165Johnnie Murray was convicted. The heroin was taped to him, hidden from view. His conviction was sustained, although he testified he did not know the contents of the rubber taped to him.

¶15It is submitted that there must have been an affirmative inference allowed from disbelief of Johnnie’s testimony as to knowledge. It tended to corroborate the inferences drawn from the furtive secreting of the heroin: to wit, Johnnie knew it was contraband. The case is right on its facts.

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