Opinion ID: 1361405
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Void Convictions

Text: Walls argues that his convictions are void because Title 21 was not published in the Federal Register as required by 44 U.S.C. § 1505(a). Walls Br. at 18. Section 1505(a) states: (a) Proclamations and Executive Orders; documents having general applicability and legal effect; documents required to be published by Congress. There shall be published in the Federal Register (1) Presidential proclamations and Executive orders, except those not having general applicability and legal effect or effective only against Federal agencies or persons in their capacity as officers, agents, or employees thereof; (2) documents or classes of documents that the President may determine from time to time have general applicability and legal effect; and (3) documents or classes of documents that may be required so to be published by Act of Congress. For the purposes of this chapter every document or order which prescribes a penalty has general applicability and legal effect. 44 U.S.C. § 1505(a) (emphasis added). If a document is required to be published in the Federal Register, it is not valid as against a person who has not had actual knowledge of it until the duplicate originals or certified copies of the document have been filed with the Office of the Federal Register and a copy made available for public inspection as provided by section 1503 of this title. 44 U.S.C. § 1507. Walls contends that Title 21 is `a document or order which prescribes a penalty,' Walls Br. at 19, and thus Title 21 was required to be published in the Federal Register to be valid. Because it was not so published, Walls asserts, Walls could not be prosecuted under Title 21. This argument has no merit. The plain language of the statute refers only to Presidential proclamations and Executive orders of general applicability, documents or classes of documents that the President may determine ... have general applicability and legal effect, and documents or classes of documents that may be required so to be published by Act of Congress. § 1505(a). Title 21 does not fall into any of these categories. The language Walls emphasizes, every document or order which prescribes a penalty, simply modifies the previously outlined categories; it does not itself create a new category of documents subjection to the statute. Thus, a basic criminal statute passed by Congress, such as Title 21, is not covered by 44 U.S.C. § 1505(a). See United States v. Schiefen, 139 F.3d 638, 639 (8th Cir.1998) (holding that the Federal Register notice requirements do not apply to federal criminal statutes) (citing 44 U.S.C. § 1505(a) and 5 U.S.C. §§ 551(1)(A) (excluding Congress from the definition of agency) and 552 (stating what materials agencies must publish)). Therefore, we hold that 44 U.S.C. § 1505(a) does not apply to criminal statutes passed by Congress. Walls's convictions are not void on this ground.