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Bronston v. United States, 409 U.S. 352 (1973)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Bronston v. United States, 409 U.S. 352 (1973)
Bronston v. United States No. 71-1011 Argued November 15, 1972 Decided January 10, 1973 409 U.S. 352
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
Syllabus
Federal perjury statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1621, does not reach a witness’ answer that is literally true, but unresponsive, even assuming the witness intends to mislead his questioner by the answer, and even assuming the answer is arguably "false by negative implication." A perjury prosecution is not, in our adversary system, the primary safeguard against errant testimony; given the incongruity of an unresponsive answer, it is the questioner’s burden to frame his interrogation acutely to elicit the precise information he seeks. Pp. 357-362.
453 F.2d 555, reversed.
BURGER, C.J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.
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Chicago: U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Bronston v. United States, 409 U.S. 352 (1973) in 409 U.S. 352 Original Sources, accessed May 19, 2024, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=7WX6Q6JX25P31ZS.
MLA: U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Bronston v. United States, 409 U.S. 352 (1973), in 409 U.S. 352, Original Sources. 19 May. 2024. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=7WX6Q6JX25P31ZS.
Harvard: U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Bronston v. United States, 409 U.S. 352 (1973). cited in 1973, 409 U.S. 352. Original Sources, retrieved 19 May 2024, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=7WX6Q6JX25P31ZS.
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