Archive | unwarranted disparities

Thursday, August 9th, 2012

Circuit Buries The Lede

United States v. Esso, No. 11-570-cr (2d Cir. June 27, 2012) (Walker, Lynch, Droney, CJJ)

The published opinion in this case is a short and fairly unremarkable decision holding that the district court did not err in allowing the members of a deliberating jury to take the indictment – it charged conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and substantive bank fraud – home with them to read overnight. The judge instructed the jurors that they must not show the indictment to – or discuss it with – anyone else, or conduct any outside research, and that the indictment was not evidence. 

That said, however, the circuit strongly “question[ed] the wisdom of the practice,” and “urge[d] caution on district courts considering it.” The practice increases the chance that jurors will be exposed to outside influences in a way that the court cannot monitor and also risks overemphasizing the significance …


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Categories: indictment, Uncategorized, unwarranted disparities

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Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Unlicensed Striver

United States v. Mazza-Alaluf, No. 09-3940-cr (2d Cir. September 22, 2010) (Sack, Raggi, Lynch, CJJ)

Mazza-Alaluf operated an unlicensed money-transfer business that, while based in Chile, sent millions of dollars through New York, Illinois and Michigan, without acquiring the appropriate state licenses. After a bench trial, the district court convicted him of violating 18 U.S.C. § 1960(a) and (b)(1)(A), which make it a crime to conduct an “unlicensed money transmitting business.” The statue defines this phrase as any such business that affects interstate or foreign commerce and “is operated without an appropriate money transmitting license in a State where such operation is [a crime] whether or not the defendant knew [that a license was required].”

On appeal, Mazza-Alaluf argued that the evidence was legally insufficient because the government failed to prove that his company was a “money transmitting business,” as referenced in 31 U.S.C. § 5313, which relates to “domestic …


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Categories: money transmission, Uncategorized, unwarranted disparities

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