DOJ will focus on criminal intent over mere code creation, seeking to balance legal accountability with support for innovation....more
For years, it has been unsettled in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals whether a white-collar defendant may be held accountable for intended loss amounts during sentencing in fraud and other financial harm cases. Prosecutors...more
In a list of Music Industry Terms Every Artist Should Know, “One Sheet” is defined as a “single-page document that highlights an artist’s new music and summarizes their bio, stats, and achievements. It’s given to media,...more
A defendant's mens rea, or intent, is almost always a contested element in a criminal prosecution, particularly in criminal healthcare fraud cases that frequently arise out of complex legal and regulatory regimes....more
In criminal cases, oftentimes the most significant element in dispute is whether the defendant harbored the intent to “knowingly” or “willfully” violate the criminal law at issue. If the defendant denies that he knew what he...more
Federal Rule of Evidence 704(b) provides that experts in criminal cases cannot state an opinion about the defendant’s mens rea. That is, the expert must not state an opinion about “whether the defendant did or did not have a...more
On June 27, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Counterman v. Colorado, No. 22-138, holding that a criminal prosecution based on a true threat of violence requires proof that the defendant subjectively understood the...more
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed that in prosecuting cases against physicians under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), if the alleged physician demonstrates that his or her conduct is authorized per the CSA, the...more
The 9th Circuit United States Court of Appeals (“Court”) in a September 13th opinion considered whether “knowingly storing and disposing of hazardous waste without a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) permit” is...more
The Chicklets and Runts vending machine at your local car repair shop last decade may have been one piece of a fraudulent enterprise that ensnarled roughly 7,000 victims. As CEO of Vendstar, Defendant Edward (“Ned”) Weaver...more
In December 2016, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court held in Shaw v. United States, 137 S.Ct. 462 (2016), that the Bank Fraud statute does not require the government prove the defendant intended to defraud a bank. The...more
On May 4, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the fraud conviction of a registered investment adviser and held that proof of intent to harm is not an element of a criminal conviction under section...more
On April 9, 2015, the United States Sentencing Commission voted to approve changes to §2B1.1 of the sentencing guidelines. The changes will take effect on Nov. 1, 2015, unless Congress objects. If they go into effect, these...more