United States v. Alston-Graves, Lois

Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge RANDOLPH.

RANDOLPH, Circuit Judge.

This appeal from convictions on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud raises questions about a “willful blindness” jury instruction on knowledge. The instruction allowed the jury to find that the defendant acted knowingly if she deliberately closed her eyes to obvious facts. Questions about the propriety of such an instruction and the circumstances when it may be given have frequently been the subject of opinions in the other circuits, but have received little attention in this court. The appeal also presents an…