United States v. Rhodes

Trial by General Court Martial

Fort McNair, District of Columbia (1958)

Relevant factsFree

Master Sergeant Rhodes (defendant) was charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. espionage laws. The prosecution introduced a film containing personal information about Rhodes that one of his coconspirators had sent to another coconspirator, over Rhodes's objection, and the General Court Martial admitted it.

IssueFree

Whether a document sent from one coconspirator of the defendant to another, containing personal information about the defendant, is admissible.

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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