United States v. Porras-Avila

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 98-50596 Summary Calendar UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus CESAR PORRAS-AVILA, Defendant-Appellant. - - - - - - - - - - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas USDC No. EP-98-CR-85-ALL-H - - - - - - - - - - January 13 ,1999 Before KING, BARKSDALE, and STEWART, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Cesar Porras-Avila (Porras) appeals his conviction for importing marijuana. Porras argues that the district court abused its discretion by refusing to give his requested jury instruction, which defined the term “knowing possession.” Inasmuch as the district court admonished the jury on contructive possession, and the word “knowingly” is used in its common meaning in the importation statute and, therefore, does not require further instructions, it was not an abuse of discretion to refuse to include a definition of knowing possession in the jury * Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4. No. 98-50596 -2- instructions. See United States v. Pennington, 20 F.3d 593, 598 (5th Cir. 1994); see also United States v. Ojebode, 957 F.2d 1218, 1223 (5th Cir. 1992). The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.