United States v. Kirby
| United States v. Kirby | |
|---|---|
 U.S. LEXIS 1023 | |
| Case history | |
| Prior | On appeal from the Circuit Court for the District of Kentucky |
| Holding | |
| All laws must be read as if they contain exceptions to prevent "an absurd consequence". In particular, it is absurd to prosecute a law enforcement officer for "obstructing the mail" because he has arrested a postal worker suspected of a serious crime. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinion | |
| Majority | Field, joined by Chase, Nelson, Grier, Clifford, Swayne, Davis |
| Miller took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. | |
United States v. Kirby, 74 U.S. (7 Wall.) 482 (1868), was a case in which the
constructed reasonably.[1]
Facts
In 1868, Farris, who was a carrier of the
bench warrant to Kirby, the sheriff
of Gallatin County, who seized Farris and brought him before the state court.
However, the
US Supreme Court
.
Holding
Mr. Justice Field, for a unanimous court, answered the certified question in the negative by applying the cardinal rule "that all laws should receive a sensible construction," and that literal interpretations which "lead to injustice, oppression, or an absurd consequence" should be avoided. The Court concluded that "The reason of the law in such cases should prevail over its letter", and therefore ruled that the law could not be applied to the sheriff's actions.
See also
External links
Works related to United States v. Kirby at Wikisource- ^ Text of United States v. Kirby, 74 U.S. (7 Wall.) 482 (1868) is available from: CourtListener Findlaw Google Scholar Justia Library of Congress OpenJurist
