Abouammo v. United States
The Court holds that a defendant charged under 18 U. S. C. § 1519 — which makes it a crime to knowingly falsify a document with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation — must be tried in the district where the falsification occurred, not in a district where the investigation was located. Because falsifying a document is the only conduct the statute proscribes, that act fixes venue; the statute's intent requirement is a mens rea element and does not move the trial to wherever the contemplated obstruction might be felt. CASE: Abouammo v. United States AUTHOR: Kagan, J. DECIDED…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.