Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/370/717/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 16:26:35+00:00

Document:
Petitioner's indictment for violating 2 U.S.C. § 192 was identical to those held defective in Russell v. United States, 369 U. S. 749; the District Court erroneously denied a timely motion to dismiss it; and petitioner was convicted. The issue raised by the motion to dismiss apparently was not presented to the Court of Appeals, and it was not briefed or argued in this Court.
Held: this Court, at its option, may notice a plain error not presented, and the judgment sustaining the conviction is reversed on the authority of Russell v. United States. Pp. 370 U. S. 717-718.
111 U.S.App.D.C. 331. 296 F.2d 588 reversed.
The judgment is reversed. Russell v. United States, 369 U. S. 749. The indictment upon which the petitioner was tried was identical to those held defective in Russell. The petitioner's timely motion to dismiss the indictment, made in accord with Fed.Rules Crim.Proc. 12(b)(2), was erroneously denied by the District Court.
"In exceptional circumstances, especially in criminal cases, appellate courts, in the public interest, may, of their own motion, notice errors to which no exception has been taken if the errors are obvious, or if they otherwise seriously affect the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings."
United States v. Atkinson, 297 U. S. 157, 297 U. S. 160. Our own rules provide that "the court, at its option, may notice a plain error not presented." Revised Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States, Rule 40(1)(d)(2). See also Fed.Rules Crim.Proc. 52(b).
MR. JUSTICE CLARK and MR. JUSTICE HARLAN dissent for the reasons stated in their dissenting opinions in Russell v. United States, 369 U. S. 749, 369 U. S. 779, 369 U. S. 781.
* See Brasfield v. United States, 272 U. S. 448, 272 U. S. 450; Mahler v. Eby, 264 U. S. 32, 264 U. S. 45; Weems v. United States, 217 U. S. 349, 217 U. S. 362. See also Kessler v. Strecker, 307 U. S. 22, 307 U. S. 34.

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