US Federal Judge Katherine Polk Failla in the Southern District of New York ruled that the judgment in the Van Loon v. Treasury Department case cannot be mentioned in the criminal trial of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm. The case had previously determined that "immutable smart contracts do not constitute property." Storm is facing charges of money laundering, evading sanctions, and could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

The judge believes that this precedent is irrelevant to the criminal case and could confuse the jury. This case will test whether developers should be held criminally responsible for the way their code is used, and the trial is scheduled for July 14th in Manhattan.