Sidley Secures Unanimous Supreme Court Victory Reinforcing Constitutional Venue Protections

Sidley secured a significant victory in the U.S. Supreme Court for Ahmad Abouammo in a case addressing the constitutional limits on where federal criminal prosecutions may be brought. In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court held that Mr. Abouammo should not have been charged and tried in the Northern District of California for crimes which occurred elsewhere. The case is one of the most important recent decisions regarding venue: the Court’s ruling reinforces the Constitution’s venue protections and limits the government’s ability to prosecute defendants in forums disconnected from their alleged conduct.

Specifically, in Abouammo v. United States, the Court ruled that Mr. Abouammo’s prosecution for falsification of records in a federal investigation in the Northern District of California was improper because he falsified the document at his home in Seattle, and reaffirmed that criminal venue must be tied to the location of the defendant’s conduct. The decision provides important guidance on the constitutional requirements governing criminal venue and safeguards against forum shopping by prosecutors.

The case is a part of Sidley’s long-standing pro bono commitment. Sidley’s representation of Mr. Abouammo began through the Carter G. Phillips Center for Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy.

Tobias Loss-Eaton, based in Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office, argued the appeal in the Supreme Court. Carter Phillips, Madeleine Joseph, James Horner, and Jacob Steinberg-Otter were a part of the team representing Mr. Abouammo in his petition for certiorari and in briefing on the merits.