United States v. Jones (345 U.S. 377)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided April 13, 1953 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 345 U.S. 377 · 73 S. Ct. 759
- Decided
- April 13, 1953
- Term
- October Term 1952
- Vote
- 9–0
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
■Per Curiam. Invoking the Criminal Appeals Act, 18 U. S. C. § 3731, the Government appeals from a dismissal of a two-count information charging appellee with violations of the Civil Rights Act, 18 U. S. C. § 242. The District Court construed the information to charge that appellee, an officer in a Florida state prison, whipped certain prisoners entrusted to his custody “for the purpose and with the intent of disciplining said prisoners.” The District Court held that mere disciplinary action by state prison officials is no offense under the Civil Rights Act, supra, and dismissed the information. 108 F. Supp. 266. On appeal, the Government predicates its argument for reversal upon the assumption that the information charges far more than the District Court found it charged. The Government construes the information to charge that appellee wilfully extorted confessions of violations of prison rules from the prisoners and wilfully inflicted illegal summary punishment upon them, in violation of the laws of Florida and the Constitution of the United States. Thus, the Government’s appeal — the theory of the prosecution — is based upon a construction of the information which differs significantly from the construction which the District Court has placed upon it. The Criminal Appeals Act, supra, strictly limits the scope of our jurisdiction over this appeal. We may only entertain…
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