Hopkins v. State
Maryland Supreme Court
193 Md. 489 (1949)
Relevant factsFree
Reverend Hopkins (defendant) put up signs advertising himself as a notary offering marriage-related information, violating a Maryland statute barring signs meant to solicit or aid in performing marriages; at trial, he tried to introduce evidence that the state's attorney had told him the signs wouldn't violate the law, but the trial judge excluded that testimony and the jury convicted him.
IssueFree
Whether reliance on advice given by a public official provides a defense to a criminal prosecution.