United States v. Gee
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
226 F.3d 885 (2000)
- Written by Heather Whittemore, JD
Facts
The United States government (plaintiff) charged Jim Gee and William Norris (defendants) with conspiracy in relation to a scheme involving the unauthorized reception of television signals. Gee purchased chips from manufacturers that could descramble encrypted television signals, allowing a person to access cable-television channels without paying for the channels. Norris purchased the chips from Gee and sold them to consumers. At the time of trial, Norris had purchased chips from Gee for 13 months. Gee and Norris were in regular contact and had a routine system for orders and payments. Gee knew that Norris was selling the chips to consumers to use illegally, but the chips themselves were not illegal. Further, neither Gee nor Norris had any financial interest in the other’s business. At trial, the jury was instructed on the elements of a conspiracy but not on the difference between a conspiracy and a mere buyer-seller relationship that did not constitute a conspiracy. The jury found Gee and Norris guilty of a conspiracy. Gee and Norris appealed their convictions.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Williams, J.)
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