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Page Number: 4

Cite as:  574 U. S. ____ (2015) 

1 

Opinion of GINSBURG, J. 

NOTICE:  This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the
preliminary  print  of  the  United  States  Reports.  Readers  are  requested  to
notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Wash-
ington,  D. C.  20543,  of  any  typographical  or  other  formal  errors,  in  order
that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press. 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

_________________ 

No. 13–7451 
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JOHN L. YATES, PETITIONER v. UNITED STATES 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 

APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
 

[February 25, 2015]

 JUSTICE  GINSBURG  announced  the  judgment  of  the 
Court  and  delivered  an  opinion,  in  which  THE  CHIEF 
JUSTICE, JUSTICE BREYER, and JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR join. 

John Yates, a commercial fisherman, caught undersized 
red  grouper  in  federal  waters  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.    To 
prevent  federal  authorities  from  confirming  that  he  had
harvested  undersized  fish,  Yates  ordered  a  crew  member 
to toss the suspect catch into the sea.  For this offense, he 
was  charged  with,  and  convicted  of,  violating  18  U. S. C. 
§1519, which provides: 

“Whoever  knowingly  alters,  destroys,  mutilates,
conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in 
any  record,  document,  or  tangible  object  with  the  in-
tent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation
or proper administration of any matter within the ju-
risdiction  of  any  department  or  agency  of  the  United
States or any case filed under title 11, or in relation to
or contemplation of any such matter or case, shall be 
fined  under  this  title,  imprisoned  not  more  than  20
years, or both.” 

Yates  was  also  indicted  and  convicted  under  §2232(a), 
which provides: