Case o' The Week: Headings and Shoulders Above the Crowd - "Exploitation" predicates for federal child porn offenses

 Brave case of first impression brings intellectually-rigorous analysis to – challenging – sentencing fact pattern.

United States v. Schopp, 938 F.3d 1053 (2019), decision available here.

 

The Hon. Judge Marsha Berzon

Players: Decision by Judge Berzon, joined by Judges Tashima and W. Fletcher. 

  Big win on issue of first impression for former CD Cal AFPD Myra Sun.  

Facts: Schopp pleaded guilty to production of child porn, pursuant to a plea agreement. Id. at 1057.

  The agreement had an appellate waiver. Id.

  Schopp admitted in the agreement that he had two Alaska state priors relating to the sexual assault and abuse of a minor. Id. (Note that neither state offense involved the production of child porn).

  At sentencing, the parties both urged a sentence of thirty-five years (the mand-min if one of the priors counted as federal “sexual exploitation of children.”) The district court rejected the recommendations and instead sentenced Schopp to life. Id.

  Had the multiple-prior enhancement not been applied (based on the state convictions), Schopp’s range would have been 25 to 50 years. Id.

  Schopp appealed, challenging whether his prior state convictions qualified as federal sexual exploitation predicates.

Issue(s): “Our question is whether the meaning of the term ‘relating to the sexual exploitation of children’ in § 2251’s enhancement provision should reflect the elements of the substantive crimes described in the same “[s]exual exploitation of children” statute.” Id. at 1056. “Under the Taylor categorical approach, we begin by defining the generic federal offense — “sexual exploitation of children.” We have yet to define the offense in a precedential opinion, so this is a matter of first impression.” Id. at 1059.

Held: “We hold that Schopp’s prior Alaska convictions are not offenses ‘relating to the sexual exploitation of children’ under § 2251(e), so the district court improperly applied the sentencing enhancement.” Id. at 1056-57.

  “All of the offenses described in § 2251 concern visual depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, with ‘sexually explicit conduct’ defined in a separate statute . . . . We accordingly hold that the federal generic definition of ‘sexual exploitation of children’ is defined within § 2251 as the production of visual depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or put simply, the production of child pornography.” Id. at 1061.

  “[W]e hold that Schopp’s prior Alaska convictions are not a categorical match to the generic federal offense of ‘sexual exploitation of children’ and cannot serve as predicate offenses for purposes of the multiple-conviction enhancement under § 2251(e).” Id. at 1063. “[W]e REVERSE Schopp’s sentence and REMAND for resentencing.” Id. at 1069.

Of Note: Schopp is a characteristically thoughtful Berzon opinion. The Judge carefully explains the statutory interpretation that leads the panel to reject the government’s (expansive) “priors” theory. The analysis relies heavily on the section heading for the Section 2251 statute: “sexual exploitation of children.” Id. at 1059.

  Add the Schopp arrow to your “statutory analysis” quiver: if a statute’s section heading is in play, Schopp is the case to consult. See id. at 1060 & n.3.  

How to Use: Schopp is a must-read for any porn-production case with potential priors in play. It is also an intriguing decision for its rejection of the appellate waiver. See id. at 1058. As Judge Berzon explains, “Because Shopp’s appeal goes to the legality of his sentence, it is permitted despite his appeal waiver.” Id.

The Hon. Sentencing Commissioner and
District Judge Charles Breyer

  In NorCal, District Judge (and Sentencing Commissioner) Charles Breyer is (correctly) reading this “illegal sentence” exception into every plea agreement. Really, shouldn’t all plea agreements contain this (required) exception to appellate waivers?

                                               

For Further Reading: Last week Judge Danielle Hunsaker, of Oregon, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee (with relatively little opposition from Democrats). See article here.  Her nomination by President Trump to the Ninth Circuit now awaits a Senate floor vote.

  After her likely confirmation, Judge Hunsaker will hold the seat vacated by Judge O’Scannlain. See article here. 

Image of the Honorable Judge Marsha Berzon from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i39zEPuZr7c

Image of the Honorable Charles Breyer from https://twitter.com/LADailyJournal/status/972173100220538881

Steven Kalar, Federal Public Defender N.D. Cal. Website at www.ndcalfpd.org

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Case o' The Week: Ninth Mulls Serious Minor Issue: Jayavarman and Mens Rea for Foreign Child Porn Cases

  You gotta believe.

  (And that'll get you convicted).

 United States v. Jayavarman, 2017 WL 4247402 (9th Cir. Sept. 26, 2017), decision available here.

Players: Decision by Judge Clifton, joined by Judges Graber and M. Smith.  

Facts: Jayavarman visited Cambodia and made videos of himself having sex with a female he believed was a minor. Id. at *2. Evidence at trial(including a disputed birth certificate) suggested that while Jayavarman thought the female was a minor, she may have been an adult when the videos were made. Id. [The jury apparently could not agree on whether the was a minor]. Id. 

  Jayavarman was tried on, among other things, “Count 1B.” That count alleged a violation of 18 USC § 2251(c)(1) and § 2251(e): attempting to persuade a minor, abroad, to produce child porn. Id. Jury instructions for this count did not require that the jury find that the female was actually under the age of eighteen. Id. at *4. 

  Jayavarman was convicted and sentenced to 216 months. Id. at *11.

Issue(s): “Jayavarman [contends] . . . that a jury must find that the victim was actually a minor, as opposed to finding that the defendant believed the victim was a minor, in order to convict a defendant of an attempted violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(c).” Id. at *3. 

  “In this case, we consider what happens when a defendant believes that the victim appearing in a depiction is a minor but the victim turns out to be an adult. That defendant cannot be convicted of the completed version of the crime, but can he be convicted of attempt?” Id. at *2.

Held: “We answer that question in the affirmative: a defendant attempts to produce and transport a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct when he believes that the victim is a minor, regardless of the victim’s actual age.” Id. at *2.

  “We conclude that a person may be convicted for attempting to commit the crime charged in Count 1B if he believed that the victim was a minor, even if the victim was not in fact a minor. On this attempt theory of the crime, the prosecution did not have to prove that the victim was actually a minor, and the district court correctly instructed the jury accordingly.” Id. at *3.

  “[A] defendant may be convicted of an attempt to violate § 2251(c) if he believes that the victim is a minor, even if the victim turns out to be an adult.” Id. at *5.

Of Note: By way of context, it is settled law that when a defendant personally interacts with a victim and actually produces and tranports child porn, there is no requirement under § 2251(c) for the government to prove that the defendant was aware that the victim was actually a minor. Id. at *4 (though note that there is a “reasonable mistake of age” defense). What makes this particular case different is that it involved attempted production. Id. at *5. Unfortunately, the Ninth’s 2004 decision in United States v. Meek, 366 F.3d 705 (9th Cir. 2004) set a (low) mens rea bar. 

  In Meek, the Ninth upheld an attempted child prostitution conviction under § 2422(b), where the defendant thought he was corresponding with a minor victim, but it was actually dealing with an undercover cop. Id. at *5. The Ninth held that the “simple fact of Meek’s belief [as to the age of the victim] is sufficient as to [the mens rea] element of a § 2422(b) violation.” Id. Judge Clifton finds no basis to distinguish the statute at issue in Meek from the § 2251(c) statute charged in Jayavarman: conviction upheld.

How to Use: In this case, Jayavarman’s conviction was upheld when he attempted to create child porn abroad with a female he believed was a minor – but may have been an adult. What about the reverse scenario? What if a defendant attempts to violate § 2251 with a victim he believes is an adult, but that turns out to be a minor?

  The Ninth expressly dodges this fact pattern: flag this as an issue to be fought another day. Id. at *5 & n.3.

                                               

For Further Reading: Turns out that you, and the Heritage Foundation, agree: the federal criminal code is a trap for the unwary, and needs meaningful mens rea reform. 

   For an interesting piece advocating for Congressional action, see John Malcolm, The Importance of Meaningful Mens Rea Reform, available here. 

Image of Cambodian birth certificates from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHI-rzpsc4Fkofi0G4_WwAqjPD83k6v9TFYfHMBBabKrJ7PRbGUd-F5bl0Gy9vgnxN7g7PIA3NiNpnlx6QI3pgRO9Oj0Q6fTgZX2Q2s86ZeRLbtJrxrEn3KKmYHJGA7RNIyb9o7g/s1600/Birth+certificates_+Srey+Mao+and+Sam+Nang.JPG .

Steven Kalar, Federal Public Defender N.D. Cal. Website at www.ndcalfpd.org

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Case o' The Week: Catch a Tigar by the Tale - Sixth Amendment Structural Error and Limits on Defense Closing Arguments

  There are many rights that can be stomped upon, with convictions

salvaged by that damnable “harmless error.”

  And there are some, that cannot.  

United States v. Brown, 2017 WL 2509230 (9th Cir. June 12, 2017), decision available here.

Players: Important decision by N.D. Cal. District Judge Jon S. Tigar, joined by Judge Paez. 

 "Vigorous" dissenting opinion by Judge Bybee. Id. at *5.

Facts: Daniel Brown was a member of a closed online bulletin board where members shared child porn. Id. at *1. He was charged under 18 USC § 2251(d)(1), which prohibits knowingly advertising or giving notice of the availability of child porn. Id. 

  Before closing arguments, the government moved the court to prohibit the defense from arguing that this particular closed board did not constitute “advertising” or “giving notice.” Id. at *2. Over defense objection, the district court agreed and prohibited that defense argument. Id. Brown was convicted and sentenced to fifteen years. Id. at *1.

Issue(s): “Brown challenges his conviction on the ground that the district court violated his Sixth Amendment right to present his defense to the jury when it precluded him from arguing the government had not met its burden to show that the . . . board involved a “notice” or an “advertisement,” given the closed nature of the bulletin board.” Id.  

Held: “By refusing to allow Brown to present his defense in closing argument based on the closed nature of the . . . bulletin board, the district court “violated [Brown's] fundamental right to assistance of counsel and right to present a defense, and it relieved the prosecution of its burden to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. . . .  A deficient closing argument lessens the Government’s burden of persuading the jury, and causes the breakdown of our adversarial system . . . . 

  Since preventing a defendant from arguing a legitimate defense theory constitutes structural error, we must reverse Brown's conviction accordingly.” Id. at *5 (internal quotations and citations omitted).

Of Note: What do the majority jurists, Circuit Judge Paez and District Judge Tigar, have in common? 

  Many decades of trial court experience. 

Hon. District Judge Jon S. Tigar

  Both men served on California county courts for years, and both jurists have served as federal district court judges. By contrast, dissenting Judge Bybee’s first judicial post was to the Ninth. 

  It is admittedly too simplistic to attribute the split in votes solely to the jurists’ courtroom experience. Nonetheless, the wisdom of the trenches does flavor the opinion. See, e.g., id. at *4 & n.5 (explaining the “simple” process of permitting a defense factual argument to the jury, then denying a post-conviction Rule 29 against defense challenge. “That is exactly what criminal trial judges have always done.”) 

  Finally, as a practical matter, it won’t exactly be easy for us to argue the factual technicalities of “advertising” and “notice” to a jury horrified by the child porn images that they’ve just viewed in trial. There’s a good chance that courtroom reality occurred to the veteran trial judges.

How to Use: “Structural error:” an increasingly rare, and ever sweet, phrase. How strong was the AUSA’s case in this prosecution? Who cares? It just doesn’t matter -- when counsel is prevented from presenting a legitimate defense in closing argument, the conviction is reversed – period, full stop. Id. at *5. 

  Great stuff for an appeal, but potent medicine for the district court, too. When an AUSA presumes to constrict the scope of your closing argument, remind the Worthy Opposition and the District Court that limits on this core Sixth Amendment right mean a Ninth-mandated “Do Over” should the jury convict.

                                               

For Further Reading: The Supreme Court is thinking about Structural Error (rarely good news). Weaver v. Massachusetts involves a defense counsel who whiffed on objecting to a closed courtroom during trial.

  (NB: Closed courtroom + timely defense objection = structural error reversal).

   Circuits are split on whether the defense must first show Strickland ineffectiveness before earning a structural error reversal. For an interesting piece on this intriguing conundrum, see “Supreme Court to Decide if One Structural Error Cancels Out Another, available here.

Image of the Honorable District Judge Jon Tigar from http://www.cand.uscourts.gov/assets/images/judges/Judge_Jon_S_%20Tigar.colorresized.jpg

Image of “Don’t Tread on Me” flag from http://finfeetwing.org/images/rattle_n_carolina_gadsden.jpg

Steven Kalar, Federal Public Defender N.D. Cal. Website at www.ndcalfpd.org

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