Federal Criminal Law

Lesson 1

Chapter 1. Introduction  (page 1)

Chapter 2. Federal, State and Local Criminal Enforcement Resources (5)

Introductory Note: The History of Federal Law Enforcement (5)

A. Federal Criminal Enforcement Agencies (6)

1. The FBI (6)

2. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (7)

3. Other Federal Police Agencies (7)

4. The Criminal Division (8)

5. United States Attorneys 10)

6. Drug Task Forces and Organized Crime Strike Forces (12)

B. State and Local Criminal Enforcement Resources (12)

1. Police (12)

2. Prosecutors (13)

C. Federal and State Criminal Caseload (13)

Chapter 3. Scope of the Federal Criminal Laws (18)

A. Bases for Federal Criminal Jurisdiction (18)

1. Transportation etc. in Interstate Commerce  (20)

2. Affecting Commerce (22)

a. Inclusion of the Jurisdictional Element in the Definition of the

Crime—The Hobbs Act (22)

b. Jurisdiction Based on Effect on Commerce Without Including

the Jurisdictional Element in the Definition of the Offense:

The Class of Activities Approach (24)

B. The Commerce Clause ‘‘Revolution’’ (27)

Supplemental reading:

→ article arguing that the federal criminal law is a disgrace.

For lesson 1 on Wednesday, January 20^th, 2010, please read Abrams pages 1 to 40 (end of note 2).  Audio file, here.

Lesson 2

C. Illustrative Applications of the Jurisdictional and Substantive Reach of Several Statutory Crime Areas (41)

1. Affecting Interstate Commerce  (42)

a. Post–Lopez/Morrison/Raich Hobbs Act Cases (42)

b. Post–Lopez/Morrison/Raich Firearms Cases Based Upon Class of Activities Approach Without Jurisdictional Element  (51)

2. Federal Statutes Requiring That an Entity Be ‘‘Engaged In’’

Interstate Commerce—RICO and Arson (54)

3. Statutes Requiring Movement in Interstate Commerce, or the Use of Facilities of Interstate Commerce—Travel Act and Sexual Offenses  (61)

a. Movement in Interstate Commerce  (61)

b. Use of a Facility of Interstate Commerce  (70)

For lesson 2 on Monday, January 25^th, 2010, please read Abrams pages 41 to 75. Audio file of Lesson 2, here.

Chapter 4. The Selection of Cases for Federal Prosecution  (76)

Introduction (76)

A. Considerations That Affect the Choice Between Federal or State Prosecution 

1. Primary Investigative Jurisdiction and the Practice of Cross–Designation (78)

2. Custody of the Suspect (78)

3. The Possibility of a Duplicative Prosecution (78)

4. Collaborative Investigations (79)

5. The Big Case Factor (79)

6. Caseload and Resources  (79)

7. Inter–Agency Relationships and Relations Among Agents  (80)

8. Legal Advantage  (80)

9. Policies (84)

B. Policies Relevant to the Choice Between Federal and State Prosecution and Which Federal Crimes to Prosecute  (85)

1. Introduction (85)

2. Policy Statements and Prosecutorial Discretion (86)

a. Introduction (86)

b. The Principles of Federal Prosecution  (87)

c. Crime–Specific Substantive Policies (92)

d. Dual Sovereignty and the Petite Policy (93)

e. Approval and Consultation Requirements (109)

f. Adherence to Department of Justice Policies (110)

g. U.S. Attorneys’ Local Exercise of Prosecutorial Discretion (112)

C. Formulation of Priorities; Other Operational Features That Affect Areas of Investigation and Prosecution  (114)

1. Enforcement Priorities or Missions (116)

a. Introductory Overview—Emphasis Among Missions; The Elevation of the Anti–Terrorism Mission and Its Implications (116)

b. Organized Crime (119)

c. White Collar Crime (120)

d. Official Corruption  (121)

e. Drug Enforcement (122)

f. Violent Crime (122)

2. Relationships With Investigative Agencies (123)

3. Task Forces, Strike Forces and Special Purpose Units (124)

4. Coordination Bodies (125)

5. Investigative Techniques (126)

6. Other Methods  (126)

D. The Use of Improper Criteria and the Risks of Political Influence (128)

1. In General  (128)

2. The Defense of Selective Prosecution ( 128)

3. Are the U.S. Attorneys Insulated From Political Pressures? (130)

a. Controversy Surrounding the Firing of U.S Attorneys  (130)

b. A Change in the Law Governing the Appointment of U.S. Attorneys  (131)

c. Reform Measures Instituted (131)

Assignment for Lesson 3 on Wednesday, January 27, 2010: All of the topics in Chapter 4 can be covered in one class, but the chapter covers too many pages for one assignment (pp.76-132).  We can cover the material in 4.C. (pp. 114-128) and 4.D.3. (pp.130-132) without your having read it first.  So, I suggest that you read pp. 76-114 and pages 128-130.

• → handout from lesson 3 on Operation Gemini.

• → handout on US Attorney's Manual

• → audio file.

Assignment for Lesson 4 on Monday, February 1, 2010: pages 133 to 166. Audio file of Lesson 4, here. PowerPoint slides, here.

Chapter 5. Mail Fraud  (133)

Introduction (133)

A. The Breadth of the Concept of Scheme to Defraud  (135)

1. The Evolving Concept of Scheme to Defraud—The Birth, Death, and Rebirth of the Intangible Rights Theory (141)

a. The Development of the Intangible Rights Theory in the

Lower Courts (141)

b. The Supreme Court’s Renunciation of the Intangible Rights

Doctrine in McNally (143)

c. The Enactment of § 1346 and the Rebirth of Intangible Rights (144)

2. Questions Concerning the Contemporary Scope of the Mail and Wire Fraud Statutes (145)

B. Prosecuting Public Fiduciaries: Using the Mail and Wire Fraud Statutes to Police Political Corruption Under § 1346 (145)

Assignment for Lesson 5 on Wednesday, February 3, 2010: Pages 166 to end of chapter at 208, but skipping Note 2 on pp. 173-174; Note 4 on p 189; Note 5 on pp. 200-202; and Note 5 on p. 208. The audio file for Lesson 5 mysteriously ends after 22 minutes, perhaps because of battery failure.  What we have of it is here. PowerPoint slides, here.

C. Prosecuting Private Fiduciaries: Using the Mail and Wire Fraud Statutes to Police the Private Sector Under § 1346 (166)

D. What Is Property?  (182)

E. Use of the Mails (194)

F. Mail Fraud and Other Crimes  (204)

Assignment for Lesson 6 on February 8, 2009, is this handout.  Audio file, here.

Supplemental materials on mail/wire fraud:

→ Sorich v. United States 129 S.Ct. 1308 (Feb. 23, 2009)

 

Weyhrauch v. United States:

→ Transcript of oral argument in Weyhrauch v. United States

→ Brief for Appellant

→ Brief for United States

Black v. United States:

→ Transcript of oral argument in Black v. United States

→ Brief for Appellant

→ Brief for United States

Skilling v. United States:

→ Appellant's brief

→ Appellee's brief in Skilling v. United States

→ Amicus brief

 

→ Indictment in U.S. v. Bruno [NY State Senator; all 8 accounts allege theft of honest services.]

→ U.S. House of Representatives Report on Selective prosecution, April 2008.

→ Testimony of former Attorney General Thornburgh to that House report

 

For Lesson 7 on Wednesday, 2/10/10 we will cover the Hobbs Act, Chapter Six, but feel free to skip all of the notes. That is, please read the three cases (Edwards, Evans, Wilkerson).  Handout of things projected in class.  Audio file of class.

Chapter 6. The Hobbs Act (209)

Introduction (209)

A. Extortion by Force, Violence, or Fear  (212)

B. Extortion Under Color of Official Right (220)

C. Affecting Interstate Commerce (236)

For Lesson 8 on Monday, 2/15/10, please read pages 253-284 concerning bribery. Three handouts from this lesson: first , second and third.  Audio file of class.

Chapter 7. Official Bribery and Gratuities (253)

Introduction (253)

A. The Distinction Between Bribery and Gratuities (256)

B. Other Elements of a Violation of § 201 (271)

1. Thing of Value(271)

2. Public Official (273)

C. Distinguishing Bribery and Extortion From Campaign Contributions and Fees for Legitimate Services (274)

D. Federal Program Bribery (276)

Chapter 8. An Overview of Federal Crimes Dealing With Political Corruption (290)

Current Theft of Honest Service Cases in the Supreme Court 2009-2010 Term – See Handout.

For Wednesday, February 17, keep same assignment as for Lesson 8, above. Audio file for Lesson 9.

For Lesson 10 on Monday, 2/22, please read pages 535 to 543; 545 note 4 to page 551; and 562 note 6 to 580.

→ PowerPoint

→ Handout

→ Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure

→ Audio file for Lesson 10.

 

Chapter 12. Conspiracy  (535)

Introduction (535)

A. Rationale and General Characteristics (537)

B. Elements of the Crime of Conspiracy(548)

1. Proof of the Agreement and Related Issues (548)

2. The Overt Act (564)

3. Duration of the Conspiracy (567)

C. Liability for Substantive Offenses Through Conspiracy: The Pinkerton Doctrine (570)

D. § 371: Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (580)

1. In General  (580)

2. The Relationship Between the Defraud Clause and the Offense Clause (583)

For Lesson 11 on Wednesday, 2/24, please read  pages 587-608.  Handout on RICO post-Boyle.  Audio file of lecture.

Chapter 13. RICO—The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute (587)

Introduction (587)

A. The RICO Statute(590)

B. The General Primary Target of RICO: Organized Crime (593)

C. The Enterprise Element  (598)

1. An Association in Fact as the Enterprise (598)

2. A Legal Entity as the Enterprise  (608)

3. Enterprises With Ideological Goals (612)

D. The RICO Defendant ‘‘Person’’: The ‘‘Person’s’’ Relationship to the ‘‘Enterprise’’  (619)

E. The ‘‘Person’s’’ ‘‘Conduct’’ of the ‘‘Enterprise’s Affairs’’: The ‘‘Operation or Management’’ Test (632)

F. The Pattern of Racketeering Activity (651)

1. The Pattern Requirement (651)

2. Racketeering Activity (665)

a. In General (665)

b. Conspiracy as a Predicate Offense (666)

c. Predicate Acts Which Have Previously Been the Subject of a Criminal Prosecution  (668)

G. RICO Conspiracy (670)

H. Civil RICO(679)

1. Private Civil Remedies (680)

2. Civil RICO Suits Brought by the Federal Government (698)

For Lesson 12 on 3/01, please read the Scheidler case on 612-616,  Part D on pages 619 – 627 only, Reves v. Ernst & Young on pages 632-638, H.J. Inc. v. Northwestern Bell Telephone Company on page 651-661. Audio file of lecture.

Chapter 15. An Overview of RICO, CCE, and the Other Federal Statutes Dealing With Organizational Crime (763)

For Lesson 13 on 3/03/10, please read pages pages 665-677 on RICO conspiracy plus pages 364-378 on Continuing Criminal [Drug] Enterprise.  Also please review this handout.  Audio file of lecture.

For Lesson 14 on 3/8/10, please read Drug Offense Enforcement – Introduction on pp. 312-315; skim 315-325; read in depth Section B - The Core Offenses on pp. 325-348; start up again with note 5 on 353 to end of subsection on 359. Audio file of lecture.

Chapter 9. Drug Offense Enforcement (312)

Introduction (312)

A. Federal Strategy(315)

1. Overview of the Federal Drug Strategy (315)

2. Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Federal Strategy(317)

3. Support for Legalization (319)

a. The Federal Challenge to Narrow State Initiatives (319)

b. Decriminalization  (320)

4. Other Approaches  (322)

5. Defense of the Federal Strategy (323)

B. The Core Offenses: Manufacture, Distribution, and Possession With Intent to Distribute (325)

1. The Grading Scheme Applicable to the Core Offenses (328)

2. The Disparity in Treatment Between Powder and Crack Cocaine (338)

3. Supplementation of the Core Offense—the Schoolyard Statute and Other Piggyback Enhancement Provisions (347)

4. Prosecutorial Discretion and the Core Federal Drug Offenses: The Critique and the Search for a Solution(359)

C. Continuing Criminal Enterprise—CCE (364)

1. The Elements of the Offense (367)

2. CCE and Double Jeopardy (375)

a. CCE and Multiple Punishments (376)

b. CCE and Successive Prosecutions (377)

3. The Future of CCE (379)

For Lesson 15 on 3/10/10, please read pp. 381-407. Audio file of Lesson 15, here.

D. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (381)

E. Defenses 400)

1. Entrapment  400)

2. Duress 407)

For Lesson 16 on March 22 24, 2010, please read pages 416 through 447.  Please read the statutes carefully.  We will start with the entrapment defense on page 400, left over from last time.  Audio file of lecture.

Chapter 10. Currency Reporting Offenses and Money Laundering (416)

Introduction 416)

A. Currency Reporting Offenses (419)

1. An Overview of the Legislative Response(419)

2. The Liability of a Financial Institution for Failure to File Currency Transaction Reports  (421)

a. Corporate Criminal Liability (421)

b. Establishing Entity ‘‘Willfulness’’ in Bank Secrecy Act Violations (423)

c. The Relevance of Corporate Compliance Programs (430)

d. Suspicious Activity Reports (431)

3. Liability of Bank Customers in Connection With Currency Reporting Regulations: The Offense of Structuring (433)

4. The Role of the Currency Reporting Laws in the Development of the Money Laundering Enforcement Regime(437)

For Lesson 17 on March 29, please read pages 447 to 482, skipping all of United States v. Rutgard on pp. 462- 468 except the last paragraph of it on page 468.  Feel free to skip note 3 on pages 478 to 480, as well. Audio file.

B. Money Laundering: 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957  (440)

1. Section 1956—Concealment and Promotion Theories  (447)

2. Section 1957 Offense  (460)

For Lesson 18 on March 31, please review the Campbell case on p. 471 and notes 1,2,4 and 5 following.  Then, the new assignment is to read pages 486 through 513 in detail and please skim 514-534 (the Heller case).  Audio file of lecture, here.

Chapter 11. Firearms Regulation (483)

A. Introduction—The Gun Control Controversy (483)

B. Modern Federal Policies for Dealing With Gun Violence(486)

C. Firearms Offenses  (489)

1. Introduction (489)

2. Federal Prosecution of Firearms Offenses (490)

a. Possession in Furtherance, Uses, Carries  (491)

b. Element of the Crime, or Sentencing Enhancement; Brandish 501)

c. Possession of Firearms by Persons Previously Convicted of a Crime; Armed Career Criminal Act (505)

d. Miscellaneous Gun Law Cases (512)

D. Second Amendment Issues (514)

For Lesson 19 on April 5, 2010, please review pages 491 (starting with Gonzalez) to 513 and page 534 (alone). Then please read the commentary You Commit Three Felonies Per Day. We will use whatever time is left after we demystify 924(c) and (e) to discuss the debate on overcriminalization. Slides from Lessons 18 & 19 on firearms regulation. Two PowerPoint slides on Rule of Law.  Audio file of class.

[Chapters 12 & 13 à See above, right after Chapter 9.]

For Lesson 20 on April 7, 2010, please read pages 707-717, plus handout.  PowerPoint slides used for Lesson 20. Handout on probable cause for Title III v. FISA electronic surveillance.  Audio recording of lecture, here.

For Lesson 21 on Monday, April 12, the assignment remains the same as for Lesson 20, except that we are essentially finished with Sections 2332b, 2339A, and 2339B.  For those of you who want o delve deeper into the subject, I recommend reading (or skimming) this handout.  Audio file of lecture.

Chapter 14. Anti–Terrorism Enforcement (707)

Introduction (707)

A. Organizational Changes in the FBI in Aid of Anti–Terrorist Enforcement (709)

B. Traditional Criminal Prosecution of Persons Charged With Terrorism–Related Acts (712)

1. Illustrative Offenses (712)

2. 18 U.S.C. §§ 2339A and 2339B—A Brief Description (713)

3. The § 2339A and § 2339B Statutes (715)

4. Construing ‘‘material support’’ Under § 2339A and § 2339B (717)

5. The Mens Rea Elements of § 2339A and § 2339B—‘‘Knowingly’’—Is Specific Intent Required?  (724)

6. The Foreign Terrorist Organization Element of § 2339B; Challenging the Designation (741)

C. A Military Alternative to Traditional Federal Criminal Enforcement (755)

1. Two Persons Arrested in the United States and Declared Enemy Combatants (755)

2. Persons Arrested Abroad on Terrorism or Related Actions and Held in Military Custody— Military Commission Procedures (758)

Chapter 15 à see above.

For Lesson 22 on April 14, 2010, please read in Abrams pp.  775 to 800. Handout on the elements of §§ 1621–1623.  Audio file of lecture.

Chapter 16. Perjury and False Statements—18 U.S.C. §§ 1621–1623; 1001  (775)

Introduction (775)

I. Perjury (775)

A. The Perjury Statutes (775)

B. The Relationship Between § 1621 and § 1623 (777)

C. The Nature of Falsity Under the Perjury Statute (786)

1. The Literally True Statement; The Non–Responsive Answer (786)

2. Response to a Question That Contains an Ambiguity (793)

3. The ‘‘I Do Not Recall’’ Response & the Knowledge Requirement (795)

D. Sentencing Enhancements for Committing Perjury (797)

Class did not meet on Monday, 4/19.

For Lesson 23 on April 21, 2010, please read the cases in Section II of Chapter 16 from page 800 through 852, skipping the notes. (A 52-page assignment is far too long, but we can easily learn all we need to about about Section 1001 in 75 minutes, particularly since we already covered the text of the statute itself on pages 798&799 during the last class. .  You read the cases, I'll cover what is in the notes in class.) Handout from Lesson 23 on §1001.  Audio file.

II. False Statements Within the Jurisdiction of a Federal Agency—18 U.S.C. § 1001 (798)

A. Introduction (798)

B. Elements of the Offense—In General (800)

C. Limitations (826)

1. According to the Agency or Agency Function  (826)

2. According to the Type of Statement (837)

D. § 1001 and Other Crimes  (848)

For class 24 on April 26, 2010, please read Chapter 17.  Again, it is idiotic for me to assign 60 pages for one class.  So, please read the three statutes (Sections 1503, 1512, and 1519) with great care, familiarize yourself with the cases, and feel free to skip the notes. PowerPoint from Lesson 24, here .  Audio file, here.

Chapter 17. Obstruction of Justice: Interference With Witnesses  (853)

Introduction (853)

A. § 1503, The Omnibus Provision: Knowledge of Judicial Proceedings and Analogous Elements— The ‘‘Nexus’’ Requirement  (854)

B. § 1512: Document Destruction as Obstruction of Justice: ‘‘Corruptly Persuades’’; The Nexus Requirement  (865)

C. Kinds of Conduct Constituting an Obstruction of Justice (880)

D. § 1519: A General Anti–Shredding Provision Without a Nexus Requirement  (895)

E. Other Obstruction of Justice Provisions (905)

Chapter 18. Plea Bargaining and Cooperation Agreements  (911)

A. Introduction  (911)

1. Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11 (911)

2. The World of Guilty Pleas (913)

B. The Constitutionality of Guilty Pleas  (914)

1. Voluntary, Knowing, and Intelligent Pleas (914)

2. Trial and Appellate Rights Waivers (925)

C. Proffers, Immunity, and Cooperation Agreements (930)

1. Proffers and Informal Immunity Agreement  (931)

2. Cooperation Agreements (938)

3. Corporate Plea, Cooperation, and Deferred–Prosecution Agreements (960)

For Lesson 25 on April 28, we will cover the Sentencing Guidelines and Forfeiture.  Please read pages 967-975, bottom of 981 through 989, and Section 853 on pages 1049 – 1051. Audio file, here.

Chapter 19. The Sentencing Guidelines (967)

Introduction (967)

A. Overview of the History and Function of the Sentencing Guidelines  (968)

B. How the Guidelines Work  (970)

1. A Step by Step Tour of the Guidelines  (970)

2. Applying the Guidelines—An Example (977)

C. Booker and Its Offspring (981)

1. The Booker Opinions (981)

2. Explaining and Critiquing the Booker Opinions (986)

3. Preserving Real Offense Sentencing (987)

4. Defining What ‘‘Advisory’’ Means: Rita, Gall, and Kimbrough (989)

5. Taking Stock of Booker, Rita, and Gall (996)

a. Discretion (997)

b. Discretion to Disagree With the Commission on Offense Guidelines (998)

c. Discretion, Disparity, and Institutional Features (1023)

d. Sentencing Disparity After Booker (1027)

D. Post–Booker Legislative Reforms  (1031)

1. Responses to Booker (1032)

a. Reforms Intended to Promote Uniformity and Curb Leniency (1032)

b. Reforms Intended to Bring the Jury into the Guidelines (1033)

c. More Fundamental Reform (1034)

2. Key Issues—What Do You Think?  (1036)

Chapter 20. Forfeiture (1040)

Introduction (1040)

A. The Scope of Forfeiture (1051)

B. The Constitutionality of Civil and Criminal Forfeiture (1060)

1. The Constitutional Measure of Excessiveness (1061)

2. Forfeiture of Attorney’s Fees? (1076)

C. Third Party Claims (1083)

1. The ‘‘Relation–Back’’ Doctrine (1084)

2. Criminal Cases—Bona Fide Purchasers for Value and Private Civil Claimants (1085)

3. Civil Cases—Innocent Owners (1088)

a. The Core Innocent Owner Provisions (1089)

b. Extending the ‘‘Innocent Owner’’ Concept to Include Some BFPs  (1090)

c. Special Provisions for Residential Property (1091)

Special Topic: Civil Rights Law

For Lesson 26: Please use cyber lecture available, here.

Special Topic: Environmental Crimes

See handouts.

Lesson 27

Monday, May 3 = Review

Audio file of this last class, here.

[Previous examinations can be found on the "Resources" page.]

Examination

Tuesday, May 11, 2010, at 1:30 p.m.