No. 25-1265October Term 2025Dismissed
Fady G. Sorial v. Robinhood Financial LLC
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Case status
- Current stage
- Dismissed
- Latest event
- Dismissed
- Decision timing
- No window until argument is scheduled.
- What it's about
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Question presented
1. Whether the unit of prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 201(b) is defined by each discrete "official act" performed in exchange for a thing of value, or whether multiple official acts undertaken pursuant to an ongoing stream of substantial financial benefits may be collapsed into a single continuing bribery offense based on a unified quid pro quo. 2. Whether the judicial consolidation of multiple, distinct official acts into a single count improperly converts a "count-by-act" statute into a "course-of-conduct" offense, in a manner contrary to the plain text and structural design of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b).
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / Dismissed
- Area
Dismissed Supreme Court case
Briefing
What it's about
The petition asks whether the federal bribery law in 18 U.S.C. § 201(b) treats each separate "official act" tied to a thing of value as its own offense. It also asks whether courts can combine several distinct acts into one broader bribery count based on one ongoing quid pro quo (this for that) arrangement.
Argument
The case is still at the stage where the justices decide whether to hear it, and no oral argument is scheduled. The petition says 18 U.S.C. § 201(b) should be read act by act, not as one continuing bribery offense.
Impact
The answer could change how federal bribery cases are charged and how much exposure a defendant faces. For example, someone accused of trading benefits for several different government actions could face multiple counts or one combined count.
What is the core dispute in Sorial v. Robinhood?
It asks whether each separate official act must be its own bribery count under 18 U.S.C. § 201(b). Or whether related acts can be combined.
Who could be affected by the issue in Sorial v. Robinhood?
People charged under the federal bribery law, prosecutors, and judges could be affected. The choice between one count and several can change a case's stakes.
What happens next in Sorial v. Robinhood?
The justices must decide whether to hear the case. No oral argument is scheduled yet, and no decision window is available.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 23, 2026
- Method
- Methodology