United States v. Kuch
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
288 F. Supp. 439 (1968)
Facts
Judith Kuch (defendant) was a member of the Neo-American Church, a nonprofit organization that purported to be a church. The Neo-American Church centered around the use of psychedelic drugs. The Neo-American Church had no set theology, and its leaders, called Boo Hoos, had no formal training. The Neo-American Church had two official songs, “Puff, the Magic Dragon” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and its motto was “Victory over Horseshit!” Kuch was indicted on charges related to the possession and sale of marijuana and LSD. Kuch moved to dismiss the charges against her, citing her membership in the Neo-American Church to argue that the charges violated her constitutional right to freely practice her religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Gesell, J.)
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