People v. Newton
New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
340 N.Y.S.2d 77 (1973)
Relevant factsFree
William Newton (defendant) boarded a Bahamas-to-Luxembourg flight carrying a loaded handgun. When the pilot learned of the gun, he diverted the plane to New York, where authorities seized the gun and arrested Newton for carrying an unlicensed firearm. Newton filed a habeas corpus petition arguing his violation of the gun statute was involuntary, since the flight was never supposed to land in the United States.
IssueFree
Whether a defendant's act must be voluntary in order to support criminal liability.