Staples v. United States
United States Supreme Court
511 U.S. 600 (1994)
Relevant factsFree
Staples (defendant) possessed a semi-automatic rifle whose metal firing-restriction piece had been filed down, making it meet the statutory definition of a regulated firearm requiring registration, but claimed he did not know the rifle could fire automatically; the trial judge instructed the jury it only needed to find Staples knew he possessed a dangerous device, not that he knew it could fire automatically, and he was convicted, with the court of appeals affirming.
IssueFree
Whether, absent a clear congressional statement eliminating the mens rea requirement, federal felony statutes should be interpreted to dispense with that element.