Case Name: Betty ROBINSON, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1959-01-26
Citations: 263 F.2d 911
Docket Number: No. 5962
Parties: Betty ROBINSON, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Reporter 2d Series
Volume: 263
Pages: 911–912

Head Matter:
Betty ROBINSON, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
No. 5962.
United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit.
Jan. 26, 1959.
Raymond W. Weaver, Jr., Denver, Colo., for appellant.
John S. Pfeiffer, Asst. U. S. Atty., for Dist. of Colo., Denver, Colo. (Donald E. Kelley, U. S. Atty., for Dist. of Colo., Denver, Colo., on the brief), for appellee.
Before PHILLIPS, MURRAH and LEWIS, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant stands convicted upon the first count of a ten count indictment charging her and others with the unlawful trafficking in narcotics. Although not raised in the trial level, contention is now made that the indictment fails to state a public offense, is consequently fatally defective, and that the voiding of all proceedings resulting in appellant's conviction is now required. We reluctantly agree to such necessity.
An indictment charging an offense under 21 U.S.C.A. § 174 must allege that the accused knew that the contraband was imported or brought into the United States contrary to law. The instant indictment fails to make this essential allegation and thus fails to state a public offense. We are in accord with the views of the Seventh Circuit expressed in United States v. Calhoun, 257 F.2d 673, that the defect cannot be considered as an obvious technicality nor disregarded under Rule 52(a), Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, 18 U.S.C.A. as "harmless'error."
Reversed with instructions to dismiss the indictment.
. "Whoever fraudulently or knowingly imports or brings any narcotic drug into the United States or any territory under its control or jurisdiction, contrary to law, or receives, conceals, buys, sells, or in any manner facilitates the transportation, concealment, or sale of any such narcotic drug after being imported or brought in, knowing the same to have been imported or brought into the United States contrary to law, or conspires to commit any of such acts in violation of the laws of the United States, shall be imprisoned not less than five or more than twenty years and, in addition, may be fined not more than $20,000. "
. "The grand jury charges: