Jury Instructions

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: United States of America v. Nathan Driggers

Case No.: 17-2994

Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and FLAUM and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Jury Instructions

In the wee hours of the morning on April 12, 2015, thieves stole approximately 104 Ruger firearms from a train sitting in a Chicago railyard. Later that day, according to the government, Nathan Driggers purchased 30 of those stolen guns. He wound up facing charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), and possession of a stolen firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(j). Driggers proceeded to trial, and a jury returned a split verdict, finding him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, but not guilty of possessing a stolen firearm. Driggers now appeals his conviction. He argues that the district court improperly allowed testimony about his codefendant Warren Gates and gave an erroneous jury instruction on joint possession. Finding no error in the district court’s decisions, we affirm Driggers’s conviction.

Affirmed

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Derek A Hawkins is trademark corporate counsel for Harley-Davidson. Hawkins oversees the prosecution and maintenance of the Harley-Davidson’s international trademark portfolio in emerging markets.