Circuit split · criminal law

Whether 21 U.S.C. § 952(a)'s prohibition on importing controlled substances applies to the contiguous zone of the United States.

1 federal appellate case on this question, each acknowledging the disagreement in its own words.

United States v. Cabaccang332 F3D 622
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals · June 6, 2003
“6 This mountain of consistent authority is no impediment for the majority: It’s two-for-one day at Circuit Split Emporium, as we boldly go where no other circuit has gone before in holding that section 952(a) does not apply to the contiguous zone.” — Acknowledges a circuit split
Empirical analysis of this case →

The provision at issue

“When used in this subtitle or in part I of subtitle II— (a) Vessel The word “vessel” includes every description of water craft or other contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation in water, but does not include aircraft. (b) Vehicle The word “vehicle” includes every description of carriage or other contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land, but does not include aircraft. (c) Merchandise The word “merchandise” means goods, wares, and chattels of every description, and includes …”

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The other side of the split

Decisions the acknowledging court(s) named as the opposing or joined side, quoted in the acknowledging opinion's own words.

On the other sideGoggin853 F.2d 845
On the other sideNuevo979 F.2d 884
On the other sideLueck678 F.2d 905
On the other sideSeni662 F.2d 286
DiscussedPerez776 F.2d 802
DiscussedArgentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp.488 U.S. 428

What the split turns on

Statutes:: 19 U.S.C. § 1401(j) ·; 19 U.S.C. § 1581(a)-(b) ·; 21 U.S.C. § 952(a) ·; 21 U.S.C. § 802(28) ·; 21 U.S.C. § 951(b)
Doctrines & tests:: canon against extraterritoriality

Cases are grouped by the legal question they announce a split on, classified from the court's own acknowledgment sentence. Verified acknowledgments only. Counter-side decisions are extracted from the acknowledging opinions' own text and linked only when the citation resolves in this corpus. See all circuit splits.