⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The First Circuit hears United States versus Trung Nguyen. The prosecution arose from cash-to-Bitcoin conversions through a business called National Vending. Nguyen was convicted of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and money laundering. At trial, the judge excluded a proposed defense expert. Nguyen sought a new trial, saying that exclusion had undermined his defense; the request was denied. Expert testimony must be relevant and reliable, and the trial judge screens whether it qualifies. Abuse-of-discretion review gives that judge latitude; an appeals court does not simply replace the trial judge's assessment with its own. A vagueness challenge asks whether a law gives ordinary people fair notice of prohibited conduct and adequate standards against arbitrary enforcement. Bradford Keene will speak for Nguyen.

United States v. Trung Nguyen (No. 25-1562) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, argued November 2, 2026.