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United States v. Aguilar-Chavez

Citation: 12 F. App'x 609Docket: No. 00-50448; D.C. No. CR-99-03639-JTM

Court: Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; June 27, 2001; Federal Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

Certified DMV records corroborated Aguilar-Chavez's post-arrest statement denying ownership of a truck, thereby satisfying the corpus delicti rule. The combination of his admission and the DMV records provided adequate support for the jury's conclusion that his prior claim of ownership to Agent Nielsen was false. The decision was affirmed, with a note that this disposition is not suitable for publication and cannot be cited in this circuit's courts except as allowed by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.

Legal Issues Addressed

Corpus Delicti Rule

Application: The court found that the combination of Aguilar-Chavez's admission and DMV records was sufficient to satisfy the corpus delicti rule, demonstrating that his prior claim of ownership was false.

Reasoning: Certified DMV records corroborated Aguilar-Chavez's post-arrest statement denying ownership of a truck, thereby satisfying the corpus delicti rule.

Non-Publication and Citation Rule

Application: The decision is affirmed with a stipulation regarding its publication and citation, limiting its use in future cases except as specified by court rules.

Reasoning: The decision was affirmed, with a note that this disposition is not suitable for publication and cannot be cited in this circuit's courts except as allowed by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.

Sufficiency of Evidence for Jury Conclusion

Application: The evidence consisting of Aguilar-Chavez's admission and the supportive DMV records was deemed adequate for the jury to conclude the falsity of his claim of ownership.

Reasoning: The combination of his admission and the DMV records provided adequate support for the jury's conclusion that his prior claim of ownership to Agent Nielsen was false.