Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246 (1952)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246 (1952)
Morissette v. United States No. 12 Argued October 9-10, 1951 Decided January 7, 1952 342 U.S. 246
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
Syllabus
1. A criminal intent is an essential element of an offense under 18 U.S.C. § 641, which provides that "whoever embezzles, steals, purloins, or knowingly converts" property of the United States is punishable by fine and imprisonment. Pp. 247-273.
(a) Mere omission from § 641 of any mention of intent is not to be construed as eliminating that element from the crimes defined. United States v. Behrman, 258 U.S. 280, and United States v. Balint, 258 U.S. 250, distinguished. Pp. 250-263.
(b) The history and purposes of § 641 afford no ground for inferring any affirmative instruction from Congress to eliminate intent from the offense of "knowingly converting" or stealing government property. Pp. 263-273.
2. Where intent of the accused is an ingredient of the crime charged, its existence is a question of fact which must be submitted to the jury for determination in the light of all relevant evidence, and the trial court may not withdraw or prejudge the issue by instructing the jury that the law raises a presumption of intent from a single act. Pp. 273-276.
187 F. 2d 427, reversed.
Petitioner was convicted of a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641. The Court of Appeals affirmed. 187 F. 2d 427. This Court granted certiorari. 341 U.S. 925. Reversed, p. 276.
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Chicago: U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246 (1952) in 342 U.S. 246 342 U.S. 247. Original Sources, accessed November 22, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=25S8RI9GEZC3QQS.
MLA: U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246 (1952), in 342 U.S. 246, page 342 U.S. 247. Original Sources. 22 Nov. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=25S8RI9GEZC3QQS.
Harvard: U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246 (1952). cited in 1952, 342 U.S. 246, pp.342 U.S. 247. Original Sources, retrieved 22 November 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=25S8RI9GEZC3QQS.
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