United States v. Dotterweich

United States Supreme Court

320 U.S. 277 (1943)

Relevant factsFree

Buffalo Pharmaceutical Company repackaged drugs from manufacturers and shipped them under its own labels; on at least two occasions the original manufacturer's labeling was wrong, leading to prosecution of both the company and its president, Dotterweich (defendant), for shipping misbranded or adulterated products under § 301 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The jury acquitted the company but convicted Dotterweich, and he appealed.

IssueFree

Whether § 301 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which prohibits shipping misbranded or adulterated products in interstate commerce, requires proof of mens rea.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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