United States v. Rickie Lee Boatwright

KENNEDY, Circuit Judge:

The sole issue in the appeal from a firearms conviction under 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d). is whether two shotguns seized in an illegal search are admissible under the inevitable discovery doctrine, an exception to the exclusionary rule.

In an early stage of the appeal, the government deemed the case controlled by a footnote in United States v. Eckegoyen, 799 F.2d 1271 (9th Cir.1986), and joined appellant in seeking summary reversal of his conviction. A motions panel of the court decided, however, that oral argument was necessary and ordered supplemental briefing on the…