No. 19-5450

Paul Suarez v. United States

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2019-08-06
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: 18-usc-924c appeal conviction criminal-conviction criminal-procedure drug-trafficking firearm-offense jury-unanimity law-of-the-case legal-sufficiency manifest-injustice sufficiency-of-evidence
Key Terms:
Environmental SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2019-10-01
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Did the panel err by holding that the 'law of the case' governed its decision in holding that the evidence was legally sufficient to sustain the petitioner's conviction?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED FOR REVIEW 1) DID THE PANEL ERR BY HOLDING THAT THE “LAW OF THE CASE” GOVERNED ITS DECISION IN HOLDING THAT THE EVIDENCE WAS LEGALLY SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN THE PETITIONER’S CONVICTION? The Panel erred by relying on the “law of the case” doctrine to summarily affirm Petitioner’s conviction. The reluctance to reopening settled matters must give way because the earlier decision is clearly erroneous and works a manifest injustice. 2) DID THE PANEL ERR BY HOLDING THAT FOR PURPOSES OF A CONVICTION UNDER 18 U.S.C. § 924(C)(1)(A), WHETHER A DEFENDANT USED A PARTICULAR FIREARM PERTAINS TO THE MEANS BY WHICH THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED, AND THEREFORE A JURY IS NOT REQUIRED TO DETERMINE UNANIMOUSLY THAT A PARTICULAR FIREARM WAS USED? The Panel erred by holding that possession of a particular type of firearm is not an element of the offense for a conviction of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime. ii

Docket Entries

2019-10-07
Petition DENIED.
2019-08-22
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/1/2019.
2019-08-13
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2019-08-01
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due September 5, 2019)

Attorneys

Paul Suarez
Amy R BlalockBlalock Law Firm, Petitioner
United States of America
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent