United States Fifth Circuit

A conviction for importing a controlled substance is affirmed over claims of error regarding: 1) whether waiver of a jury trial was knowing and intelligent; 2) a failure of the district court to permit defendant to make a closing argument; and 3) whether the verdicts on a count of possession with intent to distribute and the importation count were inconsistent, or premised on an error of law.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/15/2008
• Published 05/15/2008

Judges

• CLARK, District Judge:, Before DAVIS and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges, and CLARK, District Judge.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Carmen Castillo Mitchell (argued), James Lee Turner, Asst. U.S. Atty., Houston, TX, Mark Michael Dowd, Brownsville, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee., Marjorie A. Meyers, Federal Public Defender, Timothy William Crooks, Asst. Federal Public Defender (argued), H. Michael Sokolow, Houston, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.