United States First Circuit

Defendant appeals her convictions for perjury and obstruction of justice based on false statements she made in connection with her 2004 application for asylum in the United States and subsequent removal proceedings. Defendant is a member of a prominent political family allegedly involved in the Rwandan genocide. There is no evidence that defendant participated in the genocide, but there is evidence that she "socialized and sympathized" with those who did, and then sought to distance herself from it by lying. The judgment is affirmed, where the district court did not commit any error of law, nor did it abuse its wide discretion.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/25/2015
• Published 03/25/2015

Judges

• Lynch

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel