⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

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United States v. Simpson — 5th Cir. (argued August 5, 2026)

No. 25-30580 Argued August 5, 2026 Published August 12, 2026; updated August 17, 2026

The Fifth Circuit reviews bank-fraud convictions arising from a check-kiting scheme, moving checks among accounts to create artificial balances before they clear. Charlie Simpson and Charles Gardner worked for two northern Louisiana home-health companies. A jury convicted both of conspiracy and Simpson of four bank-fraud counts. Gardner says salary and bonus evidence let prosecutors blur motive with the object of the fraud, and the judge should have limited how jurors used it. Simpson says the judge admitted his messages to prove intent but excluded messages and banking-history evidence supporting his defense. The government says jurors received the correct law, the challenged evidence was limited, and the proof of fraud was overwhelming.

United States v. Simpson (No. 25-30580) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argued August 5, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/OralArgRecordings/25/25-30580_8-5-2026.mp3
Argument listing — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-recordings/results?from=2026-08-05&to=2026-08-12
Argument calendar — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-information/court-calendars/ByCase/
Appellate docket — Justia:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca5/25-30580
District-court memorandum order — CaseMine:https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/67da486abc5f3e372e36bd70
Trial and conviction summary — U.S. Attorney's Office:https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/two-north-louisiana-men-convicted-federal-jury-monroe-conspiring-commit-bank-fraud
Federal Rules of Evidence — U.S. Courts:https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-evidence
Luce v. United States — U.S. Supreme Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-469/pdf/USREPORTS-469-38.pdf
Offer-of-proof standard — Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/13/13-50235.0.pdf
Sara A. Johnson — professional biography:https://www.sarajohnsonlaw.com/
Elizabeth Anne Franklin-Best — Fourth Circuit counsel listing:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/244001.U.pdf
Tory D. Roberts — Third Circuit counsel listing:https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/242097p.pdf

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