United States v. Stephen Gustus
Concurring Opinion
I concur in the court's decision because our earliest precedent,
Hanson
,
As the court notes, a defendant must be charged with a specific-intent crime to merit an intoxication defense.
See
Kenyon
,
Section 111(a) makes it a felony to assault a federal employee while the employee is engaged in official duties if the assault involved physical contact with the victim.
Feola
's use of the phrase "an intent to assault" generated significant confusion. In short succession, we issued "conflicting ... decisions as to whether specific intent is an element of a § 111 violation."
United States v. Oakie
,
There are compelling arguments for treating assault under § 111 as either a general-intent or specific-intent crime.
On the other hand, we have also held that an assault under § 111 must be "willfully" committed.
United States v. Olunloyo
,
Our pattern jury instructions on § 111 offenses are consistent with this latter view.
Gustus's case illustrates the tension in our precedents. His indictment and jury instructions conformed to our model instructions and included the terms "voluntarily and intentionally." Those terms usually require a showing of specific intent, and we ordinarily "hold the government to the elements charged in its indictment."
Wallace
,
Whether § 111 is a specific-intent or general-intent crime is a difficult question to which we have given conflicting answers, but one that only the court sitting en banc can resolve. I therefore concur fully in the court's opinion.
The offense is a misdemeanor if the assault "constitute[d] only simple assault," but it becomes a felony if the assault "involve[d] physical contact with the victim" or if the defendant had "the intent to commit another felony."
Five circuits have characterized the offense as one of general intent.
United States v. Brown
,
It is debatable whether
Hanson
fully addressed the question presented here: Does § 111 require the defendant to commit the
assault
with specific intent? The defendants in
Hanson
conceded that assault is ordinarily a general-intent crime, but attempted to "distinguish the crime of assault from that of assault on a federal officer" by arguing that the latter offense requires specific intent.
Regardless of whether the assault element of § 111(a) requires proof of specific intent, some formulations of the offense undoubtedly would. For example, charging the offense as a felony because the defendant had the "intent to commit another felony" unquestionably requires specific intent.
See, e.g.
,
United States v. Iron Shell
,
"The model jury instructions are available for use by the district courts, but they are not binding."
United States v. Sparkman
,
Opinion of the Court
Following a jury trial, Defendant Stephen Gustus appeals his conviction under
I. Background
The following facts are presented in a light most favorable to the verdict. On December 21, 2016, a Postal Service employee named Julio Gonzalez was unexpectedly tackled from behind by a man wearing nothing but a pair of shoes and a bed comforter. The man was later identified as Gustus. Gonzalez fell to the ground, and Gustus jumped into Gonzalez's mail truck. Gonzalez got up and physically engaged Gustus in the truck, punching him three or four times before slipping and falling to the ground again. At some point after this second fall, Gonzalez grabbed hold of Gustus's comforter. Gustus jumped out of the truck and kicked Gonzalez in the arm until he released the comforter. Gustus then fled on foot. Gonzalez ran into a nearby field to keep an eye on Gustus and called 911. Gonzalez lost sight of Gustus, but a police officer was able to locate him soon thereafter.
When the officer encountered Gustus, Gustus would not respond to the officer's commands. Instead, he merely stared up at the sky. After several unsuccessful attempts to get Gustus to sit down with hands behind his back, the officer threatened to use pepper spray. The officer observed Gustus clench his hands into fists as if "he was getting ready to fight." The officer then sprayed a burst of pepper spray, hitting Gustus in the face. Gustus immediately sat down, and the officer placed him in handcuffs and called for medical personnel to take Gustus to a nearby healthcare facility.
Gustus was eventually charged with "voluntarily and intentionally forcibly assault[ing], imped[ing] and interfer[ing] with an employee of the United States while the employee was engaged in and on account of the performance of official duties," a violation of
A two-day trial ensued. The government called several witnesses, including: Gonzalez; the 911 operator who fielded Gonzalez's call; the officer who apprehended Gustus; a postal inspector; medical personnel who treated Gonzalez; and Gonzalez's supervisor who visited Gonzalez at the site of the incident and took him to receive medical treatment. Gustus did not call any witnesses but moved for a judgment of acquittal. The district court denied the motion, and the jury found Gustus guilty of assaulting Gonzalez. The district court sentenced Gustus to time served followed by two years of supervised release. As part of the supervised release, the district court orally imposed the following special condition:
He'll have to participate, of course, in a substance abuse treatment program under the guidance and supervision of the probation office. And that might include drug testing, alcohol testing, outpatient counseling, residential treatment. He can't use any alcohol during those sessions.
....
... He can't use any alcohol during the program of alcohol testing and outpatient counseling. He must pay for the cost [at a rate of $ 10 per session, with a total cost not to exceed $ 40 a month based on ability to pay as determined by the probation office. If he can't afford that, the copayment will be waived].
And he'll be required to disclose his substance abuse history to prescribing physicians and allow the probation office to verify disclosure. ...
The district court clarified that the alcohol restriction applied while Gustus was receiving both substance abuse and mental health treatment. The final, written version of the special condition ("Special Condition 5") read as follows:
You must participate in a substance abuse treatment program under the guidance and supervision of the probation office. The program may include drug and alcohol testing, outpatient counseling, and residential treatment. You must abstain from the use of alcohol during supervision. You must pay for the cost of treatment at the rate of $ 10 per session, with the total cost not to exceed $ 40 per month, based on ability to pay as determined by the probation office. If you are financially unable to pay for the cost of treatment, the co-pay requirement will be waived. You must disclose your substance abuse history to prescribing physicians and allow the probation office to verify disclosure.
Gustus timely filed a notice of appeal.
II. Discussion
Gustus presents three arguments on appeal: (1) the district court erred in denying him the opportunity to present a voluntary-intoxication defense; (2) there was insufficient evidence to convict him of assaulting Gonzalez; and (3) Special Condition 5 was broader than the oral version of the condition and should be modified. We address each argument in turn. Regarding the voluntary-intoxication defense and sufficiency-of-the-evidence arguments, we review the district court's judgment de novo.
See
United States v. Young
,
The district court did not err in preventing Gustus from presenting a voluntary-intoxication defense. "Such a defense is ... unavailable" to defendants being charged with violating
We also hold that sufficient evidence supports Gustus's conviction. Section 111(a)(1) makes it a crime to "forcibly assault[ ], resist[ ], oppose[ ], impede[ ], intimidate[ ], or interfere[ ] with [a federal employee] while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties."
Gustus also argues that portions of Gonzalez's testimony at trial were not credible, making the evidence as a whole insufficient. Gonzalez, for example, made seemingly inconsistent statements about: (1) whether he was attacked while he was getting into his mail truck or while he was getting out; and (2) whether he had his keys in his hands during the attack. The credibility of a witness is "within the province of the jury and virtually unreviewable on appeal."
United States v.
Thompson
,
Finally, we agree that Special Condition 5 is broader than the condition the district court imposed orally. However, it is not entirely clear from the sentencing transcript and other portions of the record exactly how long the district court intended the alcohol-prohibiting condition to apply or whether that issue is moot.
III. Conclusion
For the reasons stated above, we affirm Gustus's conviction under
We note that Gustus's criminal judgment indicates he was convicted of violating
A presentence investigation report ("PSR") prepared after trial reveals that, at the time of the offense, Gustus showed multiple signs of being intoxicated, including smelling of intoxicants, using slurred speech, and having blood-shot eyes and unstable footing. The PSR further reveals that, at the healthcare facility, Gustus admitted to drinking alcohol and tested positive for amphetamines, methamphetamines, and marijuana.
We note from the district court docket that Gustus's supervised release has been revoked for reasons unrelated to the alcohol condition. He has been sentenced to four months' imprisonment with no supervision to follow-likely making this issue moot.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff - Appellee v. Stephen GUSTUS, Defendant - Appellant
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published