McBoyle v. United States

McBoyle v. United States
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued February 26–27, 1931 Decided March 9, 1931
Full case name	McBoyle v. United States
Citations	283 U.S. 25 (more) 51 S. Ct. 340; 75 L. Ed. 816; 1931 U.S. LEXIS 861
Prior history	Certiorari to the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Holding
The court held that since the law did not specify aircraft, it did not apply to aircraft.
Court membership
Chief Justice Charles E. Hughes Associate Justices Oliver W. Holmes, Jr. · Willis Van Devanter James C. McReynolds · Louis Brandeis George Sutherland · Pierce Butler Harlan F. Stone · Owen J. Roberts
Case opinions
Majority	Holmes, joined by unanimous
Laws applied
U.S. Const.

McBoyle v. United States, 283 U.S. 25 (1931), was a United States Supreme Court case.

Background

McBoyle transported a plane that he knew to be stolen from Ottawa, Illinois to Guymon, Oklahoma.

Case

McBoyle was accused of violating the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act. The petitioners claimed that since the act did not specifically mention aircraft, it did not apply to aircraft.

Decision

The court held that, since other acts - such as the Tariff Act of 1930 - specifically excluded aircraft in its definition of a vehicle, the law must be interpreted narrowly. Justice Holmes stated:

Although it is not likely that a criminal will carefully consider the text of the law before he murders or steals, it is reasonable that a fair warning should be given to the world in language that the common world will understand, of what the law intends to do if a certain line is passed. To make the warning fair, so far as possible the line should be clear.

This case is a good example of the canon of ejusdem generis ("of the same kind, class, or nature").

See also

• List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 283

External links

• Full text from Buffalo Center for Law