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Criminal Law Keyed to Kennedy
John L. Yates v. United States
Citation:
135 S.Ct. 1074 (2015)Facts
The defendant was a commercial fisherman. At the time, an order issued by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer required him to segregate the undersized fish from other fish and return with them to port. Instead, when he caught undersized fish, he ordered his crew to toss them into the sea.
He was charged with violating 18 U.S.C. §1519 for concealing a tangible object from the officer. He filed for a judgment of acquittal arguing that the section he was charged under did not refer to fish. The district court denied his request and he was convicted. The U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed. The defendant appealed.
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14m 30s