By: Derek Hawkins//May 12, 2020//
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Case Name: United States of America v. Allen Young
Case No.: 18-3679
Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and ROVNER and BARRETT, Circuit Judges.
Focus: Jury Instructions
Allen Young was indicted for the sex trafficking of four minors and the attempted sex trafficking of a fifth. Three weeks before his trial was scheduled to start, Young fired his attorney and invoked his right to represent himself. The result was predictable. The government presented compelling evidence—including the testimony of each victim—that Young knowingly facilitated the prostitution of vulnerable minors and profited from their exploitation. Young, appearing pro se, failed to mount a serious defense to the government’s case, and the jury convicted him on all counts. He now appeals eight issues from the trial. None of his arguments has merit, and we affirm the judgment across the board.
Affirmed