Case library · Square Grouper
Ten Days Aboard
United States v. Cruz-Valdez (1985)
Charge: Possession with intent to distribute / conspiracyCourt: U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit (en banc)State: FloridaDocket: Square Grouper
Is being aboard a boat loaded with drugs, and little more, enough to convict a crewman of joining the venture?
The facts
A sixty-eight-foot trawler lay at anchor about ten miles from shore, not fishing. Her winches were rusted solid and could not drop a net. There was no ice aboard, no fish and no shrimp. An unlocked hold held 220 bales of marijuana worth millions. Three men were aboard, all in the one main cabin. The youngest had joined in Colombia ten days earlier and said he learned what the cargo was three days out.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Cruz-Valdez, 773 F.2d 1541 (11th Cir. 1985)
Read more at law.justia.com. The source reveals the outcome.