No. 25-7522October Term 2025Before Arguments
Andrew N. MacRitchie, Petitioner v. United States
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Case status
- Current stage
- Before Arguments
- Latest event
- Accepted by the Court
- Decision timing
- No window until argument is scheduled.
- What it's about
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Question presented
Whether the Ninth Circuit’s “prophylactic” rule barring a defendant from introducing any evidence of individual investor behavior to disprove the materiality or intent elements of wire fraud is foreclosed by this Court’s precedent and violates a defendant’s due process rights.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Accepted by the Court
- Area
Supreme Court case awaiting argument
Timing
Expected by late June 2026, if argued this term
The Court granted review but has not yet scheduled oral argument. Once argued, the median case reaches a decision in 94 days. Nearly all cases are decided by the end of the term in which they are argued.
Briefing
What it's about
Andrew MacRitchie is asking the Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit rule that bars a wire-fraud defendant from using evidence about how individual investors acted to challenge materiality (whether a statement mattered) or intent. He says that rule conflicts with Supreme Court precedent and violates due process.
Argument
The case is still at the certiorari (the Court's decision to hear a case) stage, and no oral argument is scheduled. MacRitchie argues the Ninth Circuit's rule is foreclosed by Supreme Court precedent and violates due process.
Impact
The fight is about how much evidence a defendant may use to contest a fraud charge before a jury. For example, a defendant who wants to show that certain investors acted in ways that undercut materiality or intent could be blocked from offering that evidence in the Ninth Circuit.
What is at stake in MacRitchie v. United States?
The justices are being asked whether the Ninth Circuit can block all evidence of individual investor behavior on materiality or intent. MacRitchie says that rule conflicts with precedent and due process.
Who could be affected by Andrew N. MacRitchie v. United States?
Defendants, prosecutors, and trial judges in Ninth Circuit wire-fraud cases could be affected. The case could shape whether investor-specific evidence reaches the jury.
What happens next in Andrew N. MacRitchie v. United States?
The Court will decide whether to hear the case and may later set oral argument. No decision window is available yet.
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