Source: cases/21usc841/f3d-150-778-us-v-griffin.case
Case source: https://www.neochart.com/catalog/cases/f3d/volume_150/0778_01/index.html
However, the trier of fact is entitled to infer knowledge from circumstantial evidence.
From the totality of the circumstances surrounding the arrest and Griffin’s extreme anxiety, the district court, as trier of fact, was entitled to infer that Griffin knew of the cocaine in his vehicle’s cargo space.
During the bench trial and from reviewing the record, we are convinced that the trial court weighed the evidence, made credibility determinations, and found that Griffin was guilty of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court also considered the evidence of Griffin’s reactions to Detective Bobko’s inquiry about drugs and that a loaded gun and scale were found after the police searched Griffin’s vehicle, which are the usual tools of a drug dealer.
casedsl 1.2 # author: Flash2 (gemini-3.8-flash-high) # triaged-by: Fable (2026-11-10) case /f3d/150/0778-01 name United States v. Griffin cite 150 F.3d 778 (1998) court United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit date 1998-07-30 url catalog/cases/f3d/volume_150/0778_01/index.html source ir/caselaw/f3d_150.jsonl sha1=a8865923ea592c499714e5fdcb72c870406e71b3 chars=32402 opinion maj : majority by Coffey @0..32402 controlling law 21usc841 (a)(1) role applied posture criminal; bench trial conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; on appeal defendant challenges (besides suppression and Guidelines rulings) the sufficiency of the evidence that he knowingly possessed the cocaine found in his vehicle; conviction and sentence affirmed result claimant-won element knowledge : satisfied [proved] route circumstantial pattern nervousness-contradictory-statements-and-high-value fact @20707..20814 [supports] | When Detective Bobko questioned Griffin he was nervous, had difficulty speaking, and was breathing rapidly. fact @20815..21066 [supports] | During Detective Bobko’s interrogation, Griffin explained that during the day someone had used his Yukon, yet he conveniently could not remember who had used his vehicle nor who the person was who had told him that someone else had driven the vehicle. fact @21067..21228 [supports] | After obtaining a search warrant, the officers entered his car and uncovered $1,250,000 worth of cocaine, a digital gram scale, and a gun in Griffin’s briefcase. fact @15633..15895 [supports] | The police officers were surveilling Boutique Chicago as they witnessed Griffin hand the key to his Yukon to the Hispanic male, who drove to a different area of Chicago, loaded a large, tan box in the cargo space of the vehicle, and returned to Boutique Chicago. rule @19325..19412 | However, the trier of fact is entitled to infer knowledge from circumstantial evidence. held @21229..21444 | From the totality of the circumstances surrounding the arrest and Griffin’s extreme anxiety, the district court, as trier of fact, was entitled to infer that Griffin knew of the cocaine in his vehicle’s cargo space. gloss Knowledge inferred from extreme nervousness during the investigatory stop, contradictory explanations about vehicle use, leaving the scene without his driver's license, and the high value ($1.25M) of the cocaine. This is the only § 841 element actually contested on appeal. element possession : satisfied [proved] decider trial-judge review affirmed route constructive pattern sole-occupant-of-own-vehicle-holding-cargo-box fact @20572..20706 [supports] | When Griffin pulled over after exiting the expressway without direction from the police officers, he was the only person in the Yukon. fact @7512..7668 [supports] | The officers found a large, tan box in the middle of the rear cargo space which they had seen the Hispanic male place in Griffin’s Yukon earlier in the day. fact @20429..20571 [supports] | Detective Bobko testified that he watched the Yukon for the remainder of that day, observing that no one else had access to Griffin’s vehicle. held @22442..22704 | During the bench trial and from reviewing the record, we are convinced that the trial court weighed the evidence, made credibility determinations, and found that Griffin was guilty of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute beyond a reasonable doubt. gloss Driver was sole occupant of his own vehicle when stopped, with the box of cocaine in the rear cargo space that police had watched being loaded earlier. Dominion over the vehicle was not disputed; the appeal attacked only the "knowing" half of knowing possession. ? holding: the appellate court analysed knowledge, not dominion and control; possession is recorded as the trial judge's finding left standing by the affirmance element intent-to-distribute : satisfied [proved] decider trial-judge review affirmed route inferred-from-quantity-and-circumstances pattern ten-compressed-packages-scale-and-loaded-pistol fact @7669..7893 [supports] | Detective Bobko, armed with the search warrant, opened the box and found ten plastic wrapped compressed packages filled with what appeared to be cocaine, as well as a cardboard box with a small electronic digital gram scale. fact @7894..8096 [supports] | They also uncovered a briefcase on the floor of the front passenger side of Griffin’s Yukon which contained a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a cellular phone, and two safety deposit box keys. held @22910..23144 | The court also considered the evidence of Griffin’s reactions to Detective Bobko’s inquiry about drugs and that a loaded gun and scale were found after the police searched Griffin’s vehicle, which are the usual tools of a drug dealer. gloss Ten compressed packages of cocaine, a digital gram scale and a loaded pistol. Intent to distribute was not separately challenged on appeal. ? holding: not separately contested on appeal; recorded as the trial judge's finding left standing by the affirmance element substance : satisfied [conceded] route _whole pattern cocaine-identity-undisputed fact @17130..17292 [supports] | After obtaining a search warrant, the government discovered not only $1,250,000 worth of cocaine, but also a digital gram scale, and a gun in Griffin’s briefcase. gloss The identity of the substance as cocaine was never disputed.