Case Explained: USA V. HUNTER

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-13 Docket: 4:24-cr-00320-HSG-1 The Ninth Circuit affirmed Terrance Hunter’s convictions for Hobbs Act robbery and the imposition of a two-level sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice. Regarding the robbery conviction, the court held that the government satisfied the jurisdictional element of the Hobbs Act by presenting sufficient evidence of a de minimis effect on interstate commerce, specifically through security footage of the theft and testimony regarding economic harm to the retailer and potential customer alienation; the court rejected Hunter’s argument that the shoes might be inauthentic, noting he acknowledged possessing Nike-branded items taken from the store. On the sentencing issue, the court applied a de novo standard to the legal characterization of obstruction under U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1 and found no clear error in the district court’s factual findings, concluding that Hunter’s continued insistence on his innocence despite being shown video evidence of him shoving an officer demonstrated a willful intent to obstruct justice rather than a sincere but inaccurate recollection. Additionally, the court held that Hunter waived any challenge to the revocation of his supervised release by failing to argue the issue specifically and distinctly in his opening brief. The practical consequence is that Hunter’s judgment and sentence remain in full force. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.