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Diaz: Freedom qualified as "thing of value"

By Tim Cone

In U.S. v Townsend, No. 09-12 (Jan. 13, 2011), the Court affirmed convictions of a Miami-Dade County corrections officer, convicted for giving a defendant on pretrial release greater freedoms in exchange for bribes.The Court found that giving greater freedom to a defendant on pretrial release qualified as a ?thing of value of $5,000 or more? for purposes of the bribery statute, 18 U.S.C. § 666. The Court held that a thing of value can be ?intangible.? Further, because the monetary value of the bribes paid to Townsend totaled $5,280, the value of this intangible (the defendant?s greater freedom) exceeded $5,000.The Court rejected sufficiency of the evidence challenges to Townsend? remaining convictions for obstruction of justice, finding that phone calls Townsend made to the defendant to warn him of a pending search of his home, and other evidence, proved these violations.continue to full post

Full post as published by Defense Newsletter Blog on January 14, 2011 (boomark / email).