Here’s a recent (sort of) case from the 11th Circuit that addressed MDLEA jurisdiction and evidentiary decisions made by a district court in the Middle District of Florida. The case is United States v. Velez-Acosta, No. 22-13528, 2024 WL 806537 (11th Cir. Feb. 27, 2024) and serves as a reminder of the importance of accuracy…
Category: IONSCAN
Eleventh Circuit Affirms District Court’s Drug Weight Calculation for Jettisoned Contraband
Takeaway: (1) IONSCAN technology is sufficiently reliable for admission at trial in MDLEA cases, and (2) based the evidence available (i.e. testimony of the size and number of packages jettisoned), a court can reasonably calculate the quantity of narcotics trafficked even if they are jettisoned and unable to be recovered. The Eleventh Circuit’s decision in…