United States v. John Walthall

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 22-50204

Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 8:14-cr-00192- v. CJC-

JOHN ARTHUR WALTHALL,

OPINION

Defendant-Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California Cormac J. Carney, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted September 11, 2024 Pasadena, California

Filed March 11, 2025

Before: Ryan D. Nelson, Eric D. Miller, and Roopali H. Desai, Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Miller SUMMARY *

Criminal Law

The panel affirmed John Walthall’s conviction for solicitation to commit a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 373(a). While awaiting sentencing after having been found guilty of fraud, Walthall asked a fellow inmate to help arrange for hit men to murder the judge, the investigators, and the attorneys involved in his fraud case. Walthall argued that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction because he had no direct contact with the hit men, who apparently did not exist. The panel held that § 373(a) does not…