John Bruce Hubbard v. United States (514 U.S. 695)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 15, 1995 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 514 U.S. 695 · 115 S. Ct. 1754
- Decided
- May 15, 1995
- Term
- October Term 1994
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority author
- Justice Stevens
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court, except as to Parts IV and V In unsworn papers filed in a bankruptcy proceeding, petitioner made three false statements of fact. Each of those misrepresentations provided the basis for a criminal conviction and prison sentence under the federal false statement statute, 18 U. S. C. § 1001. The question we address is whether § 1001 applies to false statements made in judicial proceedings. I In 1985, petitioner filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. In the course of the proceedings, the trustee filed an amended complaint and a motion to compel petitioner to surrender certain business records. Petitioner opposed the relief sought by the trustee in a pair of unsworn, written responses filed with the Bankruptcy Court. Both of his responses contained falsehoods. Petitioner’s answer to the trustee’s complaint falsely denied the trustee’s allegations that a well-drilling machine and parts for the machine were stored at petitioner’s home and in a nearby warehouse. Petitioner’s response to the trustee’s discovery motion incorrectly stated that petitioner had already turned over all of the requested records. When the misrepresentations came to light, petitioner was charged with three counts of making false statements under 18 U. S. C. § 1001. That statute provides: “Whoever, in any matter within…
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