No. 18-6006

Gerson Gonzalez Tovar v. United States

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2018-09-17
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP Experienced Counsel
Tags: child-pornography constitutional-limits criminal-law criminal-sanctions criminal-statute due-process interstate-commerce plain-error plain-error-review statutory-interpretation sufficiency-of-evidence sullivan-v-louisiana
Latest Conference: 2018-10-12
Question Presented (from Petition)

I. Whether 18 U.S.C. §2251 authorizes conviction upon proof that materia ls used to
produce child pornog raphy once crosse d state lines at an unspecifie d prior occasion,
when there is no evidenc e that the production or possession of child pornog raphy
itself cause d such movement?

II. Whether Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution permits C ongress to
impose criminal sanc tions for all conduc t undertake n using ma terials that have
moved in interstate c ommerce , howeve r remotely , whether or not the cr iminal
conduct c aused suc h movement?

III. Whether the suff iciency of a f actua l basis for a de fenda nt's plea should be subjec t
to plain error revie w, or whe ther, unde r Sullivan v. Louisiana , 508 U.S. 275 (1993),
such a c ase la cks "a n object" upon w hich re view for harmless a nd plain err or may
opera te?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether 18 U.S.C. §2251 authorizes conviction upon proof that materials used to produce child-pornography crossed state-lines at an unspecified-prior-occasion

Docket Entries

2018-10-15
Petition DENIED.
2018-09-27
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/12/2018.
2018-09-20
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2018-09-13
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due October 17, 2018)

Attorneys

Gerson Gonzalez Tovar
Kevin Joel PageOffice of the Federal Public Defender, Petitioner
United States
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent