Morissette v. United States
- Decided
- January 7, 1952
- Docket
- 12
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 3,056 timesNo negative treatment found in this library
What later courts said
- holding that it is a defense to a charge of "knowingly converting" federal property that one did not know that what one was doing was a conversion — Liparota v. United States (1985)
- recognizing that statutory rape has historically not required mens rea regarding element of vie-tim's age — State v. Martinez (2000)
- recognizing that statutory rape has historically not required mens rea regarding element of victim's age — State v. Martinez (2000)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
[*247] Mr. Justice Jackson delivered the opinion of the Court.
This would have remained a profoundly insignificant case to all except its immediate parties had it not been so tried and submitted to the jury as to raise questions both fundamental and far-reaching in federal criminal law, for which reason we granted certiorari. [1]
On a large tract of uninhabited and untilled land in a wooded and sparsely populated área of Michigan, the Government established a practice bombing range over which the Air Force dropped simulated bombs at ground targets. These bombs consisted of a metal cylinder about forty inches long and eight inches across, filled with sand and enough black powder to cause a smoke puff by which the strike could be located. At various places about the range signs read “Danger — Keep Out— Bombing Range.” Nevertheless, the range was known as good deer country arid was extensively hunted.
Statutes cited
- 18 U.S.C. § 641
- 18 U.S.C. § 81
- 18 U.S.C. § 113
- 18 U.S.C. § 152
- 18 U.S.C. § 201
- 18 U.S.C. § 471
- 18 U.S.C. § 594
- 18 U.S.C. § 1072
- 29 U.S.C. § 162
- 29 U.S.C. § 216
And 7 more sections cited in the full opinion.
Cite this
Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246 (1952)Read the full opinion
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