Russell H. Brocksmith v. United States

BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY, Associate Judge:

Following a jury trial, appellant Russell Brocksmith was found guilty of assault with intent to commit robbery (“AWIR”).1 The complainant, Valerie Villalta, is a male-to-female transgender person. Because this was appellant’s third violent crime conviction, the trial court imposed an enhanced sentence of fifteen years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.2

On appeal, appellant principally argues that the trial court committed reversible error by reinstructing the jury on “reasonable inferences” during jury deliberations. Specifically, the…