Back to all newsCW argues Ridley-Thomas appeal before the Ninth Circuit
November 2024
Last week, CW partner Alyssa Bell appeared before the Ninth Circuit on behalf of Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas, urging the court to overturn the iconic public official's bribery and fraud convictions. During a livestreamed hearing in Pasadena, Bell argued that the government had coined a catchphrase, "funneling," to criminalize Dr. Ridley-Thomas' lawful donation of $100,000 to the University of Southern California, which a USC official redirected to a nonprofit operated by Dr. Ridley-Thomas' son. According to Bell, the transaction did not constitute either bribery or honest services fraud because Dr. Ridley-Thomas did not receive a "thing of value"—a standard required to sustain the conviction.
The hearing was covered by top legal press, including Law360, Courthouse News Service, and the Daily Journal.
To read the Law360 article, click here.
To watch the livestream, click here.