Washington, DC (October 29, 2014) – On Wednesday, November 5 at 10:00 a.m., the United States Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Yates v. United States (13-7451), a case highlighting the dangerous consequences stemming from the unconstitutional executive expansion of the federal law. In Yates v. United States, the government used a post-Enron anti-shredding statute to prosecute a fisherman for the disappearance of three fish from his shipping vessel.

NACDL Is Sponsoring Telephonic Media Q&A Following Argument 

NACDL's amicus brief author in this case, William N. Shepherd, will be available to answer questions from the media about the case and the argument shortly following the argument on November 5. Mr. Shepherd, a criminal defense lawyer and member of NACDL, is the former statewide prosecutor of Florida and is currently a partner at the law firm of Holland & Knight.  

Telephonic Q&A – 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Wednesday, November 5, 2014.

Dial-in: 866-599-3690
Code: 631563

NACDL's amicus February 5, 2014, amicus curiae brief in support of the petition requesting the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case of Yates v. United States is available here. And NACDL's July 7, 2014, joint amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on the merits is available here.

A short animated video about the Yates case and the issues it presents is available here.

A link to NACDL’s The Criminal Docket podcast episode featuring Bill Shepherd on the Yates case is available here.

To learn more about NACDL's extensive work on the problem of overcriminalization in America, please visit www.nacdl.org/overcrim.

Contacts

If you have any questions, please contact NACDL's Director of Public Affairs & Communications Ivan Dominguez at idominguez@nacdl.org.

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.