United States v. Bala, No. 18-2849 (8th Cir. 2020)
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The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a successive petition for a certificate of innocence, holding that the petition was barred by the doctrine of res judicata and that the district court did not err in finding that defendant's petition was barred.
In a previous case, the court reversed federal gambling and money laundering convictions of RSI and its president, defendant, because the government failed to prove any of the offenses charged. RSI and defendant then petitioned for a certificate of innocence, the statutory prerequisite to an action in the Court of Federal Claims seeking damages from the government for wrongful imprisonment. The court affirmed the denial of the district court's petition, because RSI and defendant were not truly innocent of a state criminal gaming law violation.
Court Description: [Loken, Author, with Shepherd and Stras, Circuit Judges] Civil case - Petition for a Certificate of Innocence. The doctrine of res judicata applies to successive petitions for a certificate of innocence, and the district court did not err in finding Bala's second petition was barred.
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