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Crime in the Suites An Analysis of Current Issues in White Collar Defense

A Blog About Current Issues in White Collar Defense

November 30, 2009

Is the Second Circuit Ready to Recognize a Limited Fifth Amendment Privilege for One Person Corporations?

By: Ifrah Law
On Monday, November 30, 2009, oral argument will be held in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit before Justices Raggi, McLaughlin, and Walker in the matter of In re: Grand Jury Subpoena  Account Services v. U.S. Attorney’s Office, No.: 09-3561-cv.  This matter is being heard on appeal from the United States District Court for the District of New York .  The question before the Second Circuit is whether the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination applies in the context of a one-man corporation, where the sole employee, officer, and shareholder of a corporation is being compelled by subpoena to produce corporate documents and testify regarding same.  This issue was addressed, but left unanswered, in a footnote in the Supreme Court case of Braswell v. United States, 487 U.S. 99 (1988). There, the Court held that, because a collective entity does not enjoy Fifth Amendment protections, an individual officer acting in a representative capacity for the collective entity can be compelled to produce business records, even... Read more
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November 2, 2009

Not so Fast Kentucky

By: Ifrah Law

When the Commonwealth of Kentucky petitioned the Franklin Circuit County Court to seize www.fulltiltpoker.com, Pocket Kings Limited, asked a U.K Chancery Court to injoin FTP’s registrar, Safenames Limited, from complying with the Kentucky trial court order.  In an order dated October 22, 2009, the Chancery Court granted Pocket King’s request and declared that Safenames shall not comply… Read More

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Poker as a Game of Skill

By: Ifrah Law

Whether poker is determined to be a game of chance or a game of skill has tremendous implications for defendants charged under state and federal gambling laws.  This issue was recently litigated by a group of defendants charged under state gambling laws in South Carolina.  The defendants demonstrated to the satisfaction of the trial court… Read More

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Kentucky Supreme Court Considers Poker

By: Ifrah Law

On October 22, 2009, the Supreme Court of Kentucky heard oral arguments in the above referenced case. The case originated when the Commonwealth of Kentucky filed civil seizure and forfeiture proceedings against 141 domain names – virtually all of which offered or involved internet gaming. The Commonwealth contended that domain names constitute gambling devices under… Read More