U.S. v. Ivy, 90-1309

• Decision Date: 21 March 1991
• Docket Number: No. 90-1309,90-1309
• Citation: 929 F.2d 147
• Parties: 32 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 696 UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Charles IVY, Defendant-Appellant.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit

Page 147

929 F.2d 147

32 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 696

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Charles IVY, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 90-1309.

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

March 21, 1991.

As Amended on Denial of Rehearing

April 22, 1991.

Ronald W. Lewis, Oxford, Miss. (court-appointed), for defendant-appellant.

John R. Hailman, Robert H. Norman, Asst. U.S. Attys., Robert Q. Whitwell, U.S. Atty., Oxford, Miss., for plaintiff-appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court For the Northern District of Mississippi.

Before WISDOM, JOLLY and DAVIS, Circuit Judges.

W. EUGENE DAVIS, Circuit Judge:

Charles Ivy appeals his conviction for interstate kidnapping and related weapons charges. He challenges, among other things, the sufficiency of the evidence and the district court's refusal to suppress incriminating statements he made to police officers after his arrest. We affirm.

I.

Because Ivy challenges the sufficiency of the evidence, we state the facts in some detail and in a light that favors the verdict. In September 1989, Charles Ivy drove from Memphis, Tennessee to Oxford, Mississippi to the mobile home of his estranged wife, Patricia Ivy. ¹ Neither Patricia nor her ten-year-old daughter Deanie were in the trailer when he arrived. Patricia was on a date with Alvin King. When Patricia and King returned, Charles shot King in the head as King sat at the wheel of his car. Patricia testified that Charles ordered her out of the car and into the trailer at gun point. Once they were in the trailer he pistol-whipped Patricia rendering her unconscious.

After Patricia regained consciousness, Charles ordered her to drive him to a relative's home. He threatened to shoot her in the back if she tried to escape. They then drove to the home of Charles' relative, David Carruthers. Charles left his car at Patricia's trailer. Without Patricia's knowledge, Charles hid his pistol at the Carruthers'. Charles then drove Patricia back to her trailer so he could obtain the cash she had left there. While there, Patricia picked up her stash of cocaine. The Ivys then left for Memphis. They spent the night in a motel just across the Tennessee state line.

The next morning the two went to the home of Charles' sister Ruthie Johnson, where they stayed for several days. Members of the Johnson family testified that Patricia had many opportunities to escape or seek help during this period, but did not. While at the Johnsons', Patricia and Charles went shopping, to a concert, and to a movie. Patricia testified, however, that Charles ordered her not to tell his family what had happened. She said that he monitored her closely during their stay in the Johnson home.

Charles and Patricia left the Johnsons' and traveled for two days through Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois. The Ivys returned to the Johnson home briefly, but left again. Charles took Patricia back to the same Memphis motel where they had stayed the night of the shooting. Both went in to register, but Charles left the keys in the ignition. When Charles became distracted, Patricia ran out of the lobby and escaped in the car. She had no money so she returned to the Johnsons' to call her mother. Patricia's mother advised her to contact the police, which Patricia did immediately.

At trial, counsel questioned Patricia about why she had not attempted to escape or seek help earlier. She explained that during her four-year marriage to Charles, he repeatedly abused her physically and mentally. Patricia also testified that she was afraid Charles would kill her daughter if she tried to escape. She said Charles had told her that he knew how to construct and detonate a pipe bomb. The police found an explosive device in Charles' car along with an accurate diagram describing how to make a bomb.

Patricia admitted that she consented to sex during the four-day ordeal because she was afraid to deny Charles. She explained that she did not feel safe asking Charles' family for help because they did not like her and were unable to control Charles anyway.

A grand jury indicted Charles Ivy for interstate kidnapping (Count 1, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1201(a)(1)), carrying a firearm interstate with the intent to use it in a kidnapping (Count 2, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 924(b)), carrying and using the firearm in the kidnapping (Count 3, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 924(c)(1)), and making, possessing, transporting interstate and carrying during the kidnapping an unregistered dynamite bomb (Counts 4-7, 26 U.S.C. Sec. 5861(d), (f), (j), & 18 U.S.C. Sec. 844(h)(2)). The jury convicted Ivy on all counts except Count 2, which charged him with transporting interstate a firearm before the kidnapping. The district court sentenced Ivy to a total of 15 years incarceration.

Ivy raises a number of issues on appeal. He first challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction on each count. He also contests the district court's ruling denying his motion to suppress an oral statement he gave to the police. Finally, he challenges the district court's refusal to exclude evidence of Alvin King's shooting and earlier threats to kill or harm Patricia and her family. We consider each issue in turn.

II.

A.

Ivy argues first that the district court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal on the interstate kidnapping charge. In making a sufficiency of the evidence inquiry, we consider the evidence in a light most favorable to the verdict and determine whether a rational fact-finder could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Bell, 678 F.2d 547, 549 (5th Cir. Unit B 1982) (en banc), aff'd, 462 U.S. 356, 103 S.Ct. 2398, 76 L.Ed.2d 638 (1983).

Ivy argues that a rational trier of fact could not have found beyond a reasonable doubt that he kidnapped Patricia because the evidence showed that Patricia consented to being taken across the Tennessee state line. United States v. Chancey, 715 F.2d 543, 546 (11th Cir.1983) (if interstate transportation is by consent there is no kidnapping). Ivy argues that the following testimony established that Patricia accompanied him voluntarily:

--He and Patricia amicably met and socialized together in the weeks before the alleged abduction.

--Patricia never even attempted to escape or seek help although she had many opportunities.

--Patricia knew that he did not have the gun as they departed for Memphis.

--She consented to sexual intercourse with him.

--During the alleged abduction, Patricia shared drugs with him, went shopping, went to a concert, and went to a drive-in movie.

--Patricia acted normally during their stay at the Johnsons', not like someone being held against her will.

Ivy relies primarily on United States v. Chancey. In Chancey, the Eleventh Circuit reversed a kidnapping conviction on the ground that no rational jury could have concluded that the alleged victim was transported involuntarily. The court noted that the victim did not take advantage of numerous opportunities to escape or seek help (including a discussion with a police officer), was seen behaving playfully with the defendant, and agreed voluntarily to frequent sexual intercourse with the defendant. Id. at 544-45. The victim testified that she was too afraid to seek help, but the court determined that her testimony was inherently incredible. Id. at 547.

Ivy's violent behavior at the beginning of the alleged abduction distinguishes this case from Chancey. Charles shot King in the head while Patricia watched. Charles then pistol-whipped Patricia rendering her unconscious. These violent acts immediately before Patricia's abduction together with Charles' longstanding abusive behavior toward her gave Patricia good reason to believe Charles' threats to kill her and members of her family.

Ivy's argument, at bottom, rests on a complaint that the jury refused to credit his testimony and the testimony of his family members. According to Charles, the testimony summarized above conclusively established that Patricia willingly accompanied him. Patricia disputed or explained this testimony. This conflict in testimony made the issue ripe for the trier of fact. Our review of the record persuades us that the jury could have easily accepted Patricia's version of the facts and rejected the testimony of Charles and his family members.

B.

Ivy next challenges his conviction on Count 5 which charged him with carrying an explosive device while committing kidnapping in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 844(h)(2). ² Ivy argues that the district court erred in two ways: 1) by failing to grant his motion for judgment of acquittal because the evidence was insufficient to establish that he carried the bomb during the kidnapping, and 2) in not instructing the jury that in order to convict they must conclude that he carried the bomb "during and in relation to" the kidnapping. We examine Ivy's sufficiency argument first.

During a search of Ivy's car, police found a pipe bomb and instructions for detonating it. In a statement made to the police, Ivy admitted knowing the device was in his car, but denied threatening to use it during the kidnapping. Patricia admitted that Charles' car remained parked at her trailer in Oxford during the kidnapping. She also testified that she did not know that Charles had a bomb in his car. Ivy argues that a reasonable jury could not convict him under Sec. 844(h)(2) because the government did not prove that he used or even mentioned the bomb during the commission of the offense.

Before the kidnapping, Ivy had threatened to "blow up" Patricia and Deanie and had demonstrated to Patricia that he could construct and detonate an explosive. A defendant need not brandish, point, or discharge a weapon to "carry" or "use" the weapon. If the weapon was available to facilitate the crime or if it "emboldened" a defendant in his offense, the jury could conclude the defendant "carried" the weapon during the offense. United States v. Coburn, 876 F.2d 372 (5th Cir.1989); ...