The following excerpt is from United States v. Aguiar, Docket No. 11-5262-cr(L), Docket No. 11-5329-cr (con), Docket No. 11-5330-cr (con) (2nd Cir. 2013):
It is well-established that a defendant challenging the sufficiency of the evidence "bears a heavy burden." United States v. Hawkins, 547 F.3d 66, 70 (2d Cir. 2008) (internal quotation omitted). "On such a challenge, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, drawing all inferences in the
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government's favor and deferring to the jury's assessments of the witnesses credibility." Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). We must uphold the jury's verdict as long as "any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979) (emphasis in original).
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