United States v. Moore (1973)
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
486 F.2d 1139 (1973)
Moore (defendant), convicted of heroin possession, was conceded by the prosecution to be a drug addict, though the evidence conflicted on whether he was also engaged in heroin trafficking. The trial court refused to let his expert witness testify about the nature of his heroin addiction and declined to instruct the jury that a non-trafficking heroin addict could not be convicted; Moore was found guilty and appealed, arguing his conviction was improper given his claimed inability to control himself and refrain from using heroin.
Whether an individual who evidences an intense dependence on drugs resulting in loss of self-control may use his behavior impairment as a defense to criminal culpability.