| McDonnell v. United States | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued April 27, 2016 Decided June 27, 2016 | |
| Full case name | Robert F. McDonnell, Petitioner v. United States |
| Docket no. | 15-474 |
| Citations | 579 U.S. 550 (more) 136 S. Ct. 2355; 195 L. Ed. 2d 639 |
| Opinion announcement | Opinion announcement |
| Case history | |
| Prior | United States v. McDonnell, 64 F. Supp. 3d 783 (E.D. Va. 2014); affirmed, 792 F.3d 478 (4th Cir. 2015); cert. granted, 136 S. Ct. 891 (2016). |
| Holding | |
| An "official act" within the federal bribery statutes does not include merely setting up a meeting, calling another public official, or hosting an event. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinion | |
| Majority | Roberts, joined by unanimous |
| Laws applied | |
| Hobbs Act, Honest services fraud | |
McDonnell v. United States, 579 U.S. 550 (2016), was a United States Supreme Court case concerning the appeal of former Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell's conviction for honest services fraud and Hobbs Act extortion.[1][2] At issue on appeal was whether the definition of "official act" within the federal bribery statutes encompassed the actions for which McDonnell had been convicted and whether the jury had been properly instructed on this definition at trial.[2]
In light of the Court's findings, U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III of Virginia dropped seven of 10 charges for which former Representative William J. Jefferson of New Orleans was convicted in 2012. He ordered him released from prison on October 5, 2017, pending a new sentence or action from the government.[3]
- ^ SCOTUSblog coverage
- ^ a b McDonnell v. United States, No. 15-474, 579 U.S. ___ (2016).
- ^ Greg La Rose, "William Jefferson ordered released from prison after judge drops 7 of 10 counts", New Orleans Times-Picayune, 5 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017