Cuellar v. United States
United States Supreme Court
553 U.S. 550 (2008)
- Written by Sara Rhee, JD
Facts
A Texas police officer stopped Humberto Fidel Regalado Cuellar (defendant) for erratic driving. The officer discovered $81,000 in cash hidden in a secret compartment under the rear floorboard of the car. The money, which smelled of marijuana, was covered in animal hair to avoid detection. Cuellar was charged with attempting to transport drug-trafficking proceeds across the border while knowing that the transportation was designed “to conceal or disguise the nature, the location, the source, the ownership, or the control” of the money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(B)(i). Cuellar was convicted of violating the statute. On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed the conviction, finding that the statute required a showing that the purpose of the transportation of the funds was to create the appearance of legitimate wealth. The Fifth Circuit granted rehearing en banc and rejected the panel’s interpretation regarding the appearance of legitimate wealth. Finding that the statute was satisfied by a showing that Cuellar hid the money during its transportation, the court affirmed his conviction. Cuellar appealed, and certiorari was granted.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Thomas, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 814,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.
