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Blanca Ruiz and Alina Fonts v. United States

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, No. 15-10953 · judgment June 21, 2017


Certiorari denied · February 20, 2018
Pre-decision estimate: 3% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Question presented

(I) Did the panel err in holding that the government’s witness intimidation could not render petitioners’ trial fundamentally unfair simply because the witness testified? (II) Did the admission at petitioners’ criminal trial of evidence of civil Medicare guidelines, with the instruction that such evidence could be considered by the jury in assessing criminal fraudulent intent, impermissibly reduce the government’s burden to prove all offense elements, including fraudulent intent, beyond a reasonable doubt, in violation of petitioners’ rights to a fair trial and due process of law?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Lara Escobio O'Donnell
Berger Singerman LLP

For respondent
Noel John Francisco
Jones Day

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Feb 20 2018
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Jan 17 2018
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/16/2018.
  3. Jan 09 2018
    Waiver of right of respondent UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to respond filed.
  4. Dec 27 2017
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 1, 2018)