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Criminal Law Keyed to Ohlin
Skilling v. United States
Citation:
561 U.S. 358, 130 S. Ct. 2896, 177 L. Ed. 2D 619 (2010)Facts
In 2001, Enron Corporation, then the seventh-highest revenue-grossing company in America, collapsed into bankruptcy. Jeffrey Skilling, who had served as Enron’s CEO for six months before resigning in August 2001, was indicted along with other executives for conspiracy to defraud, securities fraud, and other crimes. The indictment alleged they had engaged in a scheme to deceive investors about Enron’s financial performance, manipulating publicly reported results and making false statements. The case generated intense media coverage in Houston, where thousands of Enron employees lost their jobs and retirement savings. Skilling moved for a change of venue, arguing that community hostility and pretrial publicity would prevent a fair trial. The District Court denied the motion, conducted voir dire, and seated a jury. After trial, Skilling was convicted of 19 counts, including honest-services fraud conspiracy, but acquitted of 9 insider trading counts.
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