If your loved one is charged with falsifying a document to block a federal investigation, the trial has to happen where the document was falsified. On June 11, 2026, a unanimous Supreme Court decided this in Abouammo v. United States.
The charge was under 18 U.S.C. § 1519. That law makes it a crime to knowingly falsify a record or document with intent to obstruct a federal investigation. Ahmad Abouammo created the document at issue in Seattle. He was charged and tried in the Northern District of California, where the FBI agents investigating him were based. He objected to venue before trial, and the Ninth Circuit ruled against him.
The Supreme Court reversed. The Constitution says a trial must be held where the crime was committed. Courts find that place by looking at the "conduct constituting the offense." Under § 1519, the only forbidden act is falsifying the document. Nothing happened in the other district that counts as that conduct.
What this means for your family
Where a federal case is tried can affect a lot:
Travel and costs for your family
Which judge hears the case
Who sits on the jury
If your loved one faces a falsification or obstruction count, ask where the actual act happened. If the government filed in a different district, venue can be challenged. That objection usually has to be raised before or during trial, or it can be lost.
Your next step
Write down where your loved one was, and where any documents were created or sent, for each event in the charges. Book a consultation to talk about your case.
Source: Abouammo v. United States, Supreme Court of the United States, No. 25-5146, 608 U.S. 597 (2026). Read the source
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