Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
No. 07-4688
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of North Carolina, at Raleigh. Malcolm J. Howard, Senior
District Judge. (5:06-cr-00168-H)
Submitted:
Decided:
May 8, 2008
PER CURIAM:
Ricco Lamont McKoy appeals his jury convictions for
possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21
U.S.C. 841(a)(1) (2000), possession of a firearm and ammunition
by a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C.A. 922(g)(1), 924
(West
2000
furtherance
&
of
Supp.
a
2007),
drug
and
possession
trafficking
U.S.C.A. 924(c)(1)(A)(iii).
crime,
in
of
firearm
violation
of
in
18
While
raised
no
objection
to
the
district
courts
before this court will notice plain error: (1) there must be error;
(2) it must be plain under current law; (3) it must affect
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Id. at 732-37.
See In re
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1, 6 (1994); see also United States v. Williams, 152 F.3d 294, 298
(4th Cir. 1998).
United States v. Wills, 346 F.3d 476, 492 (4th Cir. 2003)
conviction
as
only
slightly
higher
than
the
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However, the
district
equated
the
clear
and
courts
reasonable
doubt
instructions,
which
standard
the
with
seemingly
intermediate
this
error
did
not
occur
during
the
In its final
charge to the jury, the court instructed the jury on the rules of
law that you must follow and apply in deciding this case, adding
that the jurors must follow the law as I explain it you . . . and
you must follow all of my instructions as a whole.
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and noted that the written instructions should be used for any
reference you may later need to make.
jury was aware of the fact that the final written instructions
would control their deliberations.
As
McKoy
concedes,
the
district
courts
final
Furthermore,
Cir. 2006); United States v. Ciak, 102 F.3d 38, 46 (2d Cir. 1996);
United
States
v.
Romero,
32
F.3d
641,
652
(1st
Cir.
1994).
See
is
no
reasonable
likelihood
the
jury
understood
the
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Therefore, we conclude
We dispense
with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are
adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument
would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
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