United States v. Smith, U.S. District Judge, et al. (331 U.S. 469)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided June 2, 1947 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 331 U.S. 469 · 67 S. Ct. 1330
- Docket
- No. 498
- Argued
- March 11, 1947
- Decided
- June 2, 1947
- Term
- October Term 1946
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Jackson (R.H.)
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Vinson, Justice Burton, Justice R. H. Jackson (wrote), Justice Douglas, Justice Frankfurter, Justice Reed, Justice Black, Justice Rutledge, Justice Murphy
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Justice Jackson delivered the opinion of the Court. The United States in this case sought writs of mandamus and prohibition from the Court of Appeals directed to the judges of the District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to require that an order by which a new trial was granted to one John Memolo be vacated. Memolo was convicted of tax evasion after jury trial before Judge William F. Smith. Three days later Memolo filed a motion for new trial and was given leave to file reasons in its support. He filed fifty-four reasons, such as the trial court’s denial of continuance, of motion to quash the indictment, of motion for a bill of particulars, and of motion for a directed verdict. He complained also of the court’s action in discharging some of the petit jurors, in admission and exclusion of evidence, in instructing the jury, and in conduct toward defendant and his counsel said to have been prejudicial. On the same day, Judge Smith denied the motion and sentenced Memolo to three years imprisonment and fines. Memolo appealed, assigned as errors all of the motion grounds and, in addition, the denial of the motion for new trial. The Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed with a per curiam opinion declaring that it could perceive no substantial error in the proceedings. United States v. Memolo, 152 F. 2d 759. Petition for certiorari was denied by this…
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