Legal Opinion
United States v. Raymond Valas, III
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Decided May 20, 2016No. 15-50176PublishedCited by 22 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
STEPHEN A. HIGGINSON, Circuit Judge:
A jury convicted Raymond Valas of engaging in a commercial sex act with a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591. Valas argues on appeal that the district court improperly instructed his jury on § 1591’s scienter requirement. He also raises five alleged errors with his trial, arguing that each error alone — and the cumulative effect of the errors — requires the reversal of his conviction.
I. Background
T.J., the victim in this case, was a runaway. She met Marcus Wright, one of her future pimps, at a bus stop. T.J. told Wright that she was fifteen years old…
2Cases cited39 opinions
- Brady v. MarylandSupreme Court of the United States · 1963
- Kyles v. WhitleySupreme Court of the United States · 1995
- Leslie Wayne Yohey v. James A. Collins, Director Department of Criminal Justice Institutional DivisionCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 1993
- United States v. PhillipsCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 1981
- United States v. Shukri BakerCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 2011
34 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by22 opinions
- New Jersey Retail Merchants Ass'n v. Sidamon-EristoffCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit · 2012
- United States v. Sherrie BennettCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 2017
- United States v. Hugh GlennCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 2019
- United States v. Samuel GurrolaCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 2018
- United States v. RobinsonCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 2023
17 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.