Judge reveals reason for denying SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein's acquittal, new trial
A federal judge has explained her ruling to dismiss SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein’s request for an acquittal or a new trial. (Photo by Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
A federal judge has explained her ruling to dismiss SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein’s request for an acquittal or a new trial, noting that the at-trial evidence overrides his issues with jury instruction and insufficient evidence in his tax evasion and mortgage fraud case.
U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby of the District of Maryland, who presided over Goldstein’s six-week trial in a Maryland federal court, expanded on her June 16 ruling in a memorandum published Tuesday.
“The court observes that this was not a close case.” she wrote. “In addition, the jury never indicated during its two-day deliberations that it was struggling to reach a verdict in this case,” according to coverage by Law360.
Before he retired from practice in 2023, Goldstein argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and co-founded the SCOTUSblog legal news website.
In 2025, Goldstein was accused of omitting millions of gambling winnings from his 2016 taxes, taking improper business deductions, and hiding legal fees from the IRS.
He was found guilty of 12 of the 16 counts. In March, Goldstein moved for acquittal or a new trial, insisting that the court did not instruct the jury on aiding and abetting liability, which permitted jurors to wrongly convict on those grounds.
He is scheduled to be sentenced July 24.
See also:
DOJ seeks 8-year prison sentence for SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein
SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein denies tax fraud charges in jury trial testimony
Tobey Maguire testifies in SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein’s tax fraud trial
SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein avoided $500K poker repayment, former firm employee testifies
Did alleged sham hiring by SCOTUSblog founder Goldstein constitute tax evasion? Judge will decide
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