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Criminal Law Keyed to Kennedy
Robinson v. California
Citation:
370 U.S. 660 (1962)ProfessorScott Caron
CaseCast™ – "What you need to know"
Facts
Two police officers had the occasion to examine the defendant’s arms one evening on a street in Los Angeles. They saw “scar tissue and discoloration on the inside” of his right arm, and “what appeared to be numerous needle marks and a scab” on his left arm. They also said that the defendant admitted to the occasional use of narcotics after being questioned.
Based on this evidence, he was convicted under a Californian statute that made it illegal to be addicted to narcotics. The judge told the jury that “All that the People must show is either that the defendant did use a narcotic in Los Angeles County, or that while in the City of Los Angeles he was addicted to the use of narcotics.”
He appealed, arguing that the statute is unconstitutional.
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Topic Resources
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