No. 24-404

Ji Chaoqun v. United States

Lower Court: Seventh Circuit
Docketed: 2024-10-10
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: criminal-statute federal-criminal-law foreign-agent jury-unanimity prosecutorial-discretion statutory-interpretation
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2024-11-08
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Must a jury unanimously decide which act a defendant committed subject to the direction or control of a foreign government to convict under 18 U.S.C. § 951?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED 18 U.S.C. § 951 provides that “[w]hoever, other than a diplomatic or consular officer or attaché, acts in the United States as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General... shall be fined . . . or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.” 18 U.S.C. § 951(a). This Court has long recognized that juries should be formally and explicitly instructed on unanimity as it relates to an essential element of an offense. The question presented is: Must a jury unanimously decide which act a defendant committed subject to the direction or control of a foreign government to convict under 18 U.S.C. § 951?

Docket Entries

2024-11-12
Petition DENIED.
2024-10-23
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/8/2024.
2024-10-15
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2024-10-08
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 12, 2024)

Attorneys

Ji Chaoqun
Damon Matthew CheronisCheronis and Parente LLC, Petitioner
Damon Matthew CheronisCheronis and Parente LLC, Petitioner
United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent