United States v. Jefferson, No. 13-50647 (9th Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseDefendant appealed his ten-year mandatory minimum sentence for knowingly and intentionally importing a controlled substance into the United States. The court affirmed the judgment, rejecting defendant's argument that recent Supreme Court authority requires the government to prove that the defendant knew the specific type and quantity of the drugs he imported in order to trigger the ten year mandatory minimum under 21 U.S.C. 960(b)(1)(H).
Court Description: Criminal Law. Affirming a sentence for knowingly and intentionally importing a controlled substance into the United States in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 952 and 960, the panel rejected the defendant’s argument that recent Supreme Court authority requires the government to prove that the defendant knew the specific type and quantity of the drugs he imported in order to trigger the ten-year mandatory minimum under 21 U.S.C. § 960(b)(1)(H). Judge W. Fletcher concurred because this court is bound by United States v. Carranza, 289 F.3d 634 (9th Cir. 2002), but wrote to explain why Carranza should be overruled.
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