United States v. Collin, No. 10-2611 (8th Cir. 2011)
Annotate this CaseDefendant was convicted of one count of attempted distribution, one count of receipt of child pornography, and simple possession of child pornography. At issue was whether there was sufficient evidence to convict defendant of attempted distribution and whether the district court abused its discretion in allowing the government to make an improper closing argument. The court held that based on the reasonable inferences and interpretation of the evidence presented to the jury, the verdict that defendant attempted to "knowingly distribute" child pornography was supported by the evidence. The court also held that the cumulative effect of any misconduct during closing argument, in light of the jury instructions and the entire evidence at trial, did not prejudice defendant. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment of the district court.
Court Description: Criminal case - criminal law. Evidence was sufficient to support defendant's conviction for attempted distribution of child pornography; claims concerning prosecution's closing arguments rejected as they did not present exceptional circumstances justifying reversal.
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