Screws v. United States
| Screws v. United States | |
|---|---|
| Argued October 20, 1944 Decided May 7, 1945 | |
| Full case name | Mack Claude Screws v. United States |
| Citations | 325 U.S. 91 (more) 65 S. Ct. 1031; 89 L. Ed. 2d 1495 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | 140 F.2d 662 (5th Cir. 1944). |
| Procedural | Cert. granted, 322 U.S. 718 (1944). |
| Holding | |
| In general, a conviction under 18 U.S.C. §242 requires proof of the defendant's specific intent to deprive the victim of a federal right. In Screws, the prosecution has failed to prove such deliberate intent. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Plurality | Douglas, joined by Stone, Black, Reed |
| Concurrence | Rutledge |
| Dissent | Murphy |
| Dissent | Roberts, joined by Frankfurter, Jackson |
| Laws applied | |
| Civil Rights Act of 1866 | |
Screws v. United States, 325 U.S. 91 (1945), is a United States Supreme Court case that made it difficult for the federal government to prosecute local government officials for extra-judicial lynchings of African-Americans. The case overturned the conviction of Baker County, Georgia sheriff Claude Screws for violating the civil rights of Robert Hall, who Screws and two deputies lynched on the grounds of the Baker County Courthouse.