United States. v. Valdes
Case Details
- Case No.: 03-3066
- Jurisdiction: District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals
Key Topics in the Case
Documents
Prior Decision
437 F.3d 1276 (D.C. Cir. 2006).
In a prosecution of a public official for accepting an "illegal gratuity" under 18 U.S.C. § 201, the definition of "official act" should be narrowly construed; a broad application of § 201 would over-criminalize ethics transgressions and criminalize de minimus ethical lapses, burdening the criminal justice system and possibly leading to the absurd result of criminalizing innocent gift-giving between citizens and public servants.
Author(s)
Blair G. Brown and Barak Cohen.
