Bryan v. United States (338 U.S. 552)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided January 16, 1950 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 338 U.S. 552 · 70 S. Ct. 317
- Docket
- No. 178
- Argued
- December 13, 1949
- Decided
- January 16, 1950
- Term
- October Term 1949
- Vote
- 8–0
- Majority author
- Justice Minton
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Vinson, Justice Minton (wrote), Justice Clark, Justice Burton, Justice R. H. Jackson, Justice Frankfurter
- Concurring in the judgment
- Justice Reed (wrote), Justice Black (wrote)
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Justice Minton delivered the opinion of the Court. The important question presented upon this record is whether the Court of Appeals, when it reverses the District Court because the evidence is not sufficient to sustain a conviction, may direct a new trial where a defendant had made all proper and timely motions for acquittal in the District Court. Petitioner was convicted upon two counts'of an attempt to evade the income-tax laws and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on one count and to pay a fine of ten thousand dollars on the other. At the close of the Government’s case petitioner moved for a judgment of acquittal, and the motion was renewed at the conclusion of all the evidence. A verdict of guilty was returned, and within five days petitioner made a further motion for judgment of acquittal or in the alternative for a new trial. These motions were all denied. On appeal to the Court of Appeals, the judgment was reversed because the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdict. 175 F. 2d 223. The Court of Appeals remanded with directions to the District Court to grant a new trial. Petitioner moved the Court of Appeals to amend the judgment to “conform to Rule 29 (a) of Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure,” alleging that a judgment of acquittal should have been entered. This motion was denied. We granted certiorari to examine the power of the Court of Appeals to…
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