⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Second Circuit hears United States v. Dali. In November 2024, Svetlana Dali entered airport security at JFK through a lane used by airline crews, then boarded a Delta flight to Paris without a ticket or boarding pass. Flight staff discovered her before landing, and French authorities detained her on arrival. A Brooklyn jury later convicted her under the federal stowaway statute. At trial, Dali wanted to tell jurors that she believed she was being poisoned in the United States. The judge excluded that evidence. The appeal asks whether the statement could have offered another explanation for conduct the government used to show that Dali knowingly boarded without the airline's consent, or whether she gave up that theory when she disclaimed an insanity defense. The court must also consider whether any error affected the verdict.

United States of America v. Dali (No. 25-1773) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, argued September 16, 2026.