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Kosak v. United States
United States Supreme Court
465 U.S. 848 (1984)
Facts
Kosak (plaintiff) was a member of the military and stationed in Guam, where he amassed a substantial art collection. When the military transferred Kosak to Philadelphia, he took his art collection with him. Kosak was arrested and tried for smuggling the art into the United States, but he was acquitted. After his acquittal, the customs service confiscated his art under the federal civil-forfeiture statute. The art was later returned, but Kosak sued for $12,000 under the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleging that the art had been damaged while it was in the possession of the customs service.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Marshall, J.)
Dissent (Stevens, J.)
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