Court Opinion

ID: 9420012
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 22:52:32.280056+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:22:21.736601
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Jackson,
dissenting.
Stretch the Food and Drugs Act as we will, I cannot make it cover this charge as a crime. The statutory scheme is to make a crime of “The introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce” of adulterated or misbranded goods. 52 Stat. 1042, 21 U. S. C. § 331 (a) and (d).
But since many shippers buy goods of others and do not know their precise ingredients, Congress allowed an escape for the violator, provided he acted in good faith and could trace the responsibility to another. This he must do by producing a signed guaranty or undertaking, and the statute requires that it shall be conditioned “to the effect, in case of an alleged violation of section 331 (a), that such article is not adulterated or mis-branded ... or to the effect, in case of an alleged violation of section 331 (d), that such article is not an article” forbidden shipment by stated paragraphs of the Act. (Emphasis added.) 52 Stat. 1043, 21 U. S. C. § 333 (c).
It will be noticed that Congress not only provided but repeated that the statutory bond required is “in case of an alleged violation” by introducing or delivering for introduction of goods in interstate commerce. No such violation has been alleged here; these goods were never introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate *439commerce. But the Court seems to think it is enough that there are some grounds for expecting that this crime possibly, or probably, or perhaps pretty certainly, would eventually be committed.
Of course, if the assured had committed this offense and had fallen back on the guarantor, the statute which reached the assured would not be sufficient. To punish the responsible person, it was made a crime to give a false guaranty “referred to in” the statute. 52 Stat. 1042, 21 U. S. C. § 331 (h).
The Government now seeks to exact criminal responsibility on a guarantee, expressly conditioned only “in case of violation,” in a case of no violation. Until a violation is alleged, the guaranty plays no statutory role at all. It might afford a cause of action if false, but that is quite different from making it a crime. For it is no guaranty at all for criminal prosecution purposes if violation of neither § 331 (a) nor § 331 (d) is alleged. The statute requires such violation to be alleged only, not proved, in order to put the guarantor rather than the assured to the proof. This is the only instance I recall where the guarantor is liable when there is no breach of the condition of the bond. The whole plan was to have a substituted liability in case the violator of the Act became such in good faith. This decision makes a new, independent and original liability where there has been no alleged violation by moving the goods in interstate commerce.
I do not think we should take such liberties in expanding criminal statutes in which the sovereign once was considered under a duty to be explicit and the subject entitled to the doubt.