Luppino v. United States
Luppino v. United States
Opinion of the Court
The appellant was convicted on each of two counts of an indictment; the first alleging that he was in possession of certain “intoxicating liquor, to-wit, approximately one hundred and fifty (150) gallons distilled spirits then and there containing more than one-half of one per centum of alcohol by volume and then and there fit for use for beverage purposes”; the second count charged him with transporting the same in a Ford Tudor sedan. The appellant makes two points in support of his appeal: First, that the evidence used against him should have been suppressed by reason of the fact that it was seized in violation of his constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution.
The question of the right to make a search of an automobile engaged in transporting liquor has been so often discussed that we think it sufficient to cite our own decision in the case of McInes v. U. S., 62 F. (2d) 180, as supporting the decision of the trial court. The situation here is quite different from that disclosed in Taylor v. U. S., 286 U. S. 1, 52 S. Ct. 466, 76 L. Ed. 951, strongly relied upon by the appellant. See Carroll v. U. S., 267 U. S. 132, 45 S. Ct. 280, 69 L. Ed. 543, 39 A. L. R. 790, as more nearly in point.
The motions to suppress and to instruct the jury to acquit were both properly denied. The evidence shows that the alcohol was 194 proof, and the appellant’s second contention is that this is too strong for beverage purposes, unless diluted and thg,t therefore the evidence does not sustain the allegation of the indictment to the effect that the distilled spirits therein described were intoxicating liquor “then and there fit for use for beverage purposes.” The trial court instructed the jury that there is no substantial variance between the proof and the indictment “if by dilution with water the strength of it would be so lessened as to render it fit, in the sense that alcoholic liquors are fit for beverage purposes * * * the evidence would not be any departure from the allegation that it was fit for use for beverage purposes.” We think this instruction correctly states the law and that there is no merit in appellant’s contention. In interpreting the law, its intention must be considered.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- LUPPINO v. UNITED STATES
- Status
- Published