United States v. Francisco Dominguez-Mestas

This appeal requires us to decide which party has the burden of proof for the defense of duress when a defendant is charged with unlawful importation of merchandise in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 545. The district court ruled that Francisco Dominguez-Mestas (Dominguez) bore the burden of proving duress by a preponderance of the evidence. Dominguez contends that the district court was wrong; he argues that the government has the burden of disproving duress and must do so beyond a reasonable doubt. We affirm the district court’s decision that the defendant has the burden of proving duress by a…