United States Fifth Circuit

A conviction and sentence for possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is affirmed over claims that the district court abused its discretion in: 1) admitting as lay opinion testimony the opinions of various law enforcement officers on matters related to firearms possession and drug trafficking; and 2) refusing a requested jury instruction on the definition of the "in furtherance" element of the crime at issue.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/04/2008
• Published 01/04/2008

Judges

• EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judge:, Before GARWOOD, GARZA and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• John Richard Berry, James Lee Turner, Asst. U.S. Attys., Houston, TX, for U.S., Marjorie A. Meyers, Fed. Pub. Def., Margaret Christina Ling, Asst. Fed. Pub. Def., Philip G. Gallagher, Houston, TX, for Yanez Sosa.