US v. Cruz-Zuniga, No. 08-3272

By FindLaw Staff on July 01, 2009 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Conviction for drug crimes is affirmed where: 1) the district court did not abuse its discretion in using Eighth Circuit Model Jury Instruction 4.05A on the credibility of cooperating witnesses as opposed to defendant's proposed non-pattern instruction on the issue; 2) the court did not abuse its discretion by giving Model Instruction 3.11 on  reasonable doubt; 3) the court did not err uin applying a preponderance of the evidence standard to determine the drug quantity attributable to defendant for sentencing purposes; 4) the court's refusal to grant defendant a downward variance for acceptance of responsibility did not wrongfully punish him for exercising his constitutional right to stand trial; and 5) the court properly considered and applied the 18 U.S.C sec. 3553(a) sentencing factors and did not impose an unreasonable sentence. 

Read US v. Cruz-Zuniga, No. 08-3272

Appellate Information
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Submitted: April 5, 2009
Filed: July 1, 2009

Judges
Before RILEY, BENTON, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges..
Opinion by RILEY, Circuit Judge.

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