Obstruction of (Contemplated) Justice

In the wake of the guidance provided by the federal appellate decisions affirming the distinctions between ' 1519 and the other obstruction statutes in recent years, prosecutors have been increasingly relying on this anti-shredding provision to file charges based on a variety of fact patterns well outside the typical norm for obstruction cases

21 minute read August 02, 2014 at 12:00 AM
By
Jeffrey M. Hanna
Obstruction of (Contemplated) Justice

Imagine you are a federal prosecutor and the following fact pattern lands on your desk: A college student gains unauthorized access to the e-mail account of a candidate for federal office.

This premium content is locked for Business Crimes Bulletin subscribers only

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN Business Crimes Bulletin

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

Already have an account? Sign In Now

For enterprise-wide or corporate access, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or call 1-877-256-2473.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2026 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Continue Reading

Agentic AI introduces risks that are novel and complex, but the most effective response is a familiar one. Zero Trust answers the problem of when an AI agent misfires on its own by constraining what an agent can do rather than betting on how it will behave.

July 31, 2026

The outsourcing of office and administrative services is expected to grow 50%-60% in the next five years. Contrary to what decision-makers think, and what the service providers hope you think, the biggest risk in outsourcing isn't choosing the wrong provider. It's outsourcing the wrong process, under the wrong model, with the wrong performance measures and contract terms.

July 31, 2026