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United States v. Lovasco

United States Supreme Court
431 U.S. 783 (1977)

Facts

Lovasco (defendant) was suspected of possessing stolen guns and selling guns without a license between July 25 and August 31, 1973. One month later, the Postal Inspector issued a report stating that there was strong evidence against Lovasco, but that investigators had not been able to establish how Lovasco got the guns. On March 6, 1975, Lovasco was indicted for the crime. Lovasco moved to dismiss on the grounds that the undue delay had impaired his ability to defend himself. Lovasco said two material witnesses died before the indictment was issued. The district court dismissed the indictment, and the court of appeals affirmed.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Marshall, J.)

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  • A “yes” or “no” answer to the question framed in the issue section;
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Dissent (Stevens, J.)

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