United States v. Ambriz
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
727 F. 3d 378 (2013)

- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
The federal government (plaintiff) prosecuted Juvenal Ambriz (defendant) for distribution of a controlled substance, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The trial evidence established that a federal agent working undercover at a club purchased drugs from a club customer. When the customer left the club, the agent provided his description to police officers, who stopped the customer's car. The driver matched the customer's description, and his driver's license identified him as Ambriz. The officers arrested Ambriz after a search of his car turned up a quantity of baggies similar to those that the agent bought at the club. The trial judge denied Ambriz's request for a jury instruction that simple possession of a controlled substance, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 844(a), is a lesser-included offense of § 841(a)(1) distribution. The jury convicted Ambriz on the distribution charge, and Ambriz appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Elrod, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 815,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.