United States v. John Waldo Birges, Sr., Terry Lee Hall

ALARCON, Circuit Judge:

John Birges and Terry Hall appeal from their convictions arising out of the bombing of Harvey’s Casino [South Lake Tahoe].

Birges was convicted of attempt to interfere with commerce by threats of violence, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, conspiracy, and transportation of explosives in interstate commerce. He asserts three claims of error: (1) that the failure of his attorney to represent him adequately denied him his sixth amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel; (2) that two communications between the judge and the jury, after the jury had…