Opinion ID: 783949
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The venue instruction

Text: 46 Robles additionally argues that, even if venue in the Southern District was theoretically proper, the jury instruction on venue was fatally flawed. 14 To begin, because Defendant failed to object to the substance of the venue instruction, our review is for plain error. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 30(d), 52(b); United States v. Crowley, 318 F.3d 401, 414 (2d Cir.2003). 15 For an error to be a `plain error[ ] or [a] defect[ ] affecting substantial rights,' Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b), it must be a `clear' or `obvious' deviation from current law that `affected the outcome of the district court proceedings.' Crowley, 318 F.3d at 414-15 (citing United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 734, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993)). 47 Since we conclude that the jury instruction on venue properly stated the law in this Circuit, we find that there was no error, plain or otherwise, in this aspect of the charge. First, Robles argues that venue is an essential element of a criminal charge and must, therefore, be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. See generally United States v. Gaudin, 515 U.S. 506, 115 S.Ct. 2310, 132 L.Ed.2d 444 (1995) (holding that materiality of allegedly false statements is an essential element of the crime of making material false statements to a federal agency and thus must be submitted to the jury and proven beyond a reasonable doubt). However, this Court has repeatedly held that venue is not an essential element of the crime charged, see, e.g., Smith, 198 F.3d at 382 (citation omitted), and thus only requires proof by a preponderance of the evidence. See, e.g., United States v. Bala, 236 F.3d 87, 95 (2d Cir.2000) ([T]he government must prove venue by a preponderance of the evidence.) (citation omitted); United States v. Middlemiss, 217 F.3d 112, 121 (2d Cir.2000) (The government must prove, `by a preponderance of the evidence, that some part of the crime was committed within the district of the prosecution.') (quotation omitted). In the instant case, the district court properly instructed the jury that the government meets its burden of proof if it establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that an act in furtherance of the crimes occurred within his district. A. 106. 48 Second, Robles contends that the substantive test for venue should have read any act constituting the offense rather than any act in furtherance of the unlawful activity. In the instant case, the crimes charged are trading on insider information and conspiracy to trade on insider information. Cf. United States v. Rodriguez-Moreno, 526 U.S. 275, 280, 119 S.Ct. 1239, 143 L.Ed.2d 388 (1999) (so-called verb test is a useful analytical tool for determining where the relevant offense conduct occurred). We find the distinction that Robles urges unpersuasive; the acts in furtherance, i.e., the trades executed in the Southern District, are also the acts constituting the offenses charged. In any event, the instruction that the district court gave was proper. See United States v. Potamitis, 739 F.2d 784, 791 (2d Cir.1984) (venue proper in any district in which some part of offense conduct occurred). 49 For the foregoing reasons, we find no error in the venue instruction.