United States v. Freed
United States Supreme Court
401 U.S. 601 (1971)
Relevant factsFree
Freed (defendant) was indicted for possessing unregistered hand grenades, and the district court dismissed the indictment because it failed to allege that Freed intended to use the grenades for any dangerous or vicious purpose. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to decide whether such intent was a required element.
IssueFree
Whether possession of a controlled item like an unregistered hand grenade is a specific-intent crime requiring proof of intent to bring about a particular consequence.