United States Fourth Circuit

In a prosecution for crimes including piracy, convictions and sentences are affirmed, where: 1) the district court correctly applied the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea definition of piracy as customary international law; 2) the district court did not err in denying individual motions to suppress statements the defendants made when questioned aboard the USS Nicholas three days after their capture; 3) the protections of the Juvenile Delinquency Act did not apply to one defendant, who failed to rebut the government's prima facie evidence of his adult status; and 4) the district court imposed proper sentences, as there was no error in not merging, for sentencing purposes, three convictions under 18 USC section 924(c) into a single section 924(c) offense.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/23/2012
• Published 05/23/2012

Judges

• King

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• James R. Theuer, Benjamin L. Hatch