Hampton v. United States case brief

Hampton v. United States case brief summary
425 U.S. 484 (1976)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Defendant sought review of the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, which affirmed the district court's judgment convicting him for distributing her*in.

CASE FACTS
Defendant was convicted of two counts of distributing her*in in violation of 21 U.S.C.S. § 84(a)(1) in the district court. The court of appeals affirmed. The case arose from two sales of her*in by defendant to agents of the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Defendant contended that he neither intended to sell nor knew that he was dealing in her*in and that all of the drugs he sold were supplied by a government informant. Defendant further contended that if the jury had believed that the drug was supplied by the government information that he should have been acquitted.

DISCUSSION

• The United States Supreme Court held that defendant could be convicted for the sale of contraband which he procured from a government informant or agent. 
• Defendant's counsel conceded on appeal that defendant was predisposed to commit the offense. 
• Hence, his predisposition rendered the defense of entrapment unavailable to him. 
• The judgment was affirmed.

CONCLUSION
The Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals.


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