United States v. David Johnson, Jr., No. 29846 Summary Calendar. Rule 18, 5 Cir. See Isbell Enter., Inc. v. Citizens Cas. Co. Of New York, 5 Cir. 1970, 431 F.2d 409, 441 F.2d 1134 (5th Cir. 1971). · Go Syfert
United States v. David Johnson, Jr., No. 29846 Summary Calendar. Rule 18, 5 Cir. See Isbell Enter., Inc. v. Citizens Cas. Co. Of New York, 5 Cir. 1970, 431 F.2d 409, 441 F.2d 1134 (5th Cir. 1971). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
20 citation events (8 in the last 25 years) across 9 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: United States v. Hernandez (ca5, 2025-11-20) · Strongest negative: Raymond Charles Milentz v. United States (ca8, 1971-07-21)
Treatment trajectory · 1971 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1971 1998 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 11 distinct citers. How cited ↗
cited Cited "but see" Raymond Charles Milentz v. United States
8th Cir. · 1971 · signal: but see · confidence high
But see, United States v. Johnson, 441 F.2d 1134 (5th Cir. 1971). 4 .
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Hernandez
5th Cir. · 2025 · confidence medium
To begin, the Supreme Court has held that the Second Amendment does not protect a right to possess short-barreled shotguns—the sort of firearm Hernandez possessed: [T]he type of weapon at issue [is] not eligible for Second Amendment protection: “In the absence of any evidence tending to show that the possession or use of a [short-barreled shotgun] at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument.” District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 …
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Arzberger
S.D.N.Y. · 2008 · confidence medium
See United States v. Lippman, 369 F.3d 1039, 1043-45 (8th Cir.2004); United States v. Parker, 362 F.3d 1279, 1282-84 (10th Cir.2004); Silveira v. Lockyer, 312 F.3d 1052 , 1060-66 (9th Cir.2002); United States v. Napier, 233 F.3d 394, 402-04 (6th Cir.2000); United States v. Scanio, No. 97-1584, 1998 WL 802060 , at *2 (2d Cir. Nov. 12, 1998) (unpublished opinion); United States v. Wright, 117 F.3d 1265, 1271-74 (11th Cir.1997); United States v. Rybar, 103 F.3d 273, 285-86 (3d Cir.1996); Thomas v. City Council of Portland, 730 F.2d 41, 42 (1st Cir.1984); United States v. Johnson, 497 F.2d 548, 55…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) District of Columbia v. Heller (2×)
SCOTUS · 2008 · confidence medium
See, e.g., United States v. Haney, 264 F.3d 1161, 1164-1166 (C.A.10 2001); United States v. Napier, 233 F.3d 394, 402-404 (C.A.6 2000); Gillespie v. Indianapolis, 185 F.3d 693 , 710-711 (C.A.7 1999); United States v. Scanio, No. 97-1584, 1998 WL 802060 , *2 (C.A.2, Nov. 12, 1998) (unpublished opinion); United States v. Wright, 117 F.3d 1265, 1271-1274 (C.A.11 1997); United States v. Rybar, 103 F.3d 273, 285-286 (C.A.3 1996); Hickman v. Block, 81 F.3d 98, 100-103 (C.A.9 1996); United States v. Hale, 978 F.2d 1016, 1018-1020 (C.A.8 1992); Thomas v. City Council of Portland, 730 F.2d 41, 42 (C.A.…
cited Cited as authority (rule) Parker v. District of Columbia
D.D.C. · 2004 · confidence medium
United States v. Williams, 446 F.2d 486, 487 (5th Cir.1971); United States v. Johnson, 441 F.2d 1134, 1136 (5th Cir.1971).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Wright (2×)
11th Cir. · 1997 · confidence medium
Without discussion, we rejected this argument as "without merit." 907 F.2d at 1045 ; see also United States v. Williams, 446 F.2d 486, 487 (5th Cir.1971) (rejecting, based on United States v. Miller, 307 U.S. 174 , 59 S.Ct. 816 , 83 L.Ed. 1206 (1939), Second Amendment challenge to 26 U.S.C. § 5861 (d)'s registration requirement for sawed-off shotguns); United States v. Johnson, 441 F.2d 1134, 1136 (5th Cir.1971) (same). 15 Miller is the only case in which the Supreme Court has considered directly a Second Amendment challenge to a federal firearms statute.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. John Ackerson
8th Cir. · 1974 · confidence medium
That section makes it unlawful “to receive or possess a firearm which is not registered to him.” (Emphasis supplied.) In United States v. Johnson, 441 F.2d 1134, 1136 (5th Cir. 1971), the Fifth Circuit declared that “possession of such a firearm, if unregistered, whether abandoned or not, is prohibited.” Our Court quoted and embraced that view in United States v. Moon, 492 F.2d 902, 903 (8th Cir. 1974), where the defendant claimed that he had merely found the weapon.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Joey Lee Moon
8th Cir. · 1974 · confidence medium
In United States v. Johnson, 441 F.2d 1134, 1136 (5th Cir. 1971), the court stated, in response to a charge that the statute was unconstitutionally vague, that “possession of such firearm, if unregistered, whether abandoned or not, is prohibited.” Moreover, in Milentz v. United States, 446 F.2d 111 (8th Cir. 1971), we said that “specific intent to violate the law [§ 5861(d)] is not a necessary element of the crime,” but we stressed that the act of possession of the weapon must be “willing and knowing.” Id. at 113, 114.
discussed Cited "see" United States v. David Robinson, Jr.
11th Cir. · 2025 · signal: see · confidence high
See United States v. Johnson, 441 F.2d 1134, 1136 (5th Cir. 1971); United States v. Williams, 446 F.2d 486, 487 (5th Cir. 1971); see also Bonner v. City of Prichard, 661 F.2d 1206, 1207 (11th Cir. 1981) (en banc) (holding that all Fifth Circuit decisions issued by the close of business on September 30, 1981, are binding precedent in this Court).
discussed Cited "see" United States v. John England Morris, Jr., A/K/A Larry Jackson
5th Cir. · 1973 · signal: accord · confidence high
Accord United States v. Bowdach, 458 F.2d 951 (5th Cir. 1972), United States v. Mix, 446 F.2d 615 (5th Cir. 1971), United States v. Williams, 446 F.2d 486 (5th Cir. 1971), United States v. Beck, 443 F.2d 1360 (5th Cir. 1971), United States v. Piper, 443 F.2d 371 (5th Cir. 1971), United States v. Miller, 441 F.2d 1147 (5th Cir. 1971), and United States v. Johnson, 441 F.2d 1134 (5th Cir. 1971). 14 . 26 C.F.R. §§ 179.98-179.99 . 15 .
discussed Cited "see" United States v. Tom Willie Williams
5th Cir. · 1971 · signal: see · confidence high
See United States v. Johnson, 5 Cir., 1971, 441 F.2d 1134 ; United States v. Coleman, 5 Cir., 1971, 441 F.2d 1132 ; United States v. Piper, 5 Cir., 1971, 443 F.2d 371 ; United States v. Miller, 5 Cir., 1971, 441 F.2d 1147 ; United States v. Beck, 5 Cir., 1971, 443 F.2d 1360 .
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
United States
v.
David Johnson, Jr., No. 29846 Summary Calendar. Rule 18, 5 Cir. See Isbell Enterprises, Inc. v. Citizens Casualty Co. Of New York, 5 Cir. 1970, 431 F.2d 409
1134.
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Apr 28, 1971.
441 F.2d 1134
Cited by 1 opinion  |  Published

441 F.2d 1134

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
David JOHNSON, Jr., Defendant-Appellant.
No. 29846 Summary Calendar.*
*Rule 18, 5 Cir.; see Isbell Enterprises, Inc.
v.
Citizens Casualty Co. of New York et al., 5 Cir. 1970, 431 F.2d 409.

United States Court of Appeals, ,Fifth Circuit.

April 28, 1971.

David Johnson, Jr., pro se; Wm. V. Counts, Dallas Tex., Court-appointed, for defendant-appellant.

Eldon B. Mahon, U.S. Atty., Charles D. Cabaniss, Asst. U.S Atty., Dallas, Tex., Harry H. Ellis, Senior Atty., Office of the Regional Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before BELL, AINSWORTH and GODBOLD, Circuit Judges.

AINSWORTH, Circuit Judge:

[*~1134]1

Appellant David Johnson, Jr. appeals from his conviction under the National Firearms Act of 1968, of having knowingly and unlawfully possessed a sawed-off shotgun, which firearm had not been registered to him, in violation of Title 26 U.S.C. 5861(d).[1]

2

On appeal Johnson contends that Section 5861(d) is violative of his privilege against self-incrimination, conflicts with his constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and is vague and indefinite. We have considered all of appellant's contentions and find them without merit, and therefore affirm.

3

Appellant bases his self-incriminatory argument on Haynes v. United States, 390 U.S. 85, 88 S.Ct. 722, 19 L.Ed.2d 923 (1968), in which the Supreme Court held that petitioner's 'claim of the constitutional privilege against self-incrimination provides a full defense to prosecutions either for failure to register a firearm under 5841 or for possession of an unregistered firearm under 5851.' 390 U.S. at 100, 88 S.Ct. at 732. Haynes was decided under the then existing National Firearms Act. Congress subsequently amended the Act in its entirety and substituted the new National Firearms Act.[2]

4

The recent Supreme Court decision in United States v. Freed, 401 U.S. 601, 91 S.Ct. 1112, 28 L.Ed.2d 356, in which Section 5861(d) (the section with which we are here concerned) was challenged, completely disposes of appellant's contentions that the Act is self-incriminatory. The Court expressly concluded 'that the amended Act does not violate the Self-Incrimination Clause of the Fifth Amendment which provides that no person 'shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.' As noted A lawful transfer of a firearm may be accomplished only if it is already registered. The transferor-not the transferee-- does the registering.' 401 U.S. at 605, 91 S.Ct. at 1116.[3] Similarly, Freed is dispositive of appellant's subsidiary contention that compliance with the federal statute would result in self-incriminating admissions under state law. This argument was made and rgjected in Free. The Court said, 'Since the states and other federal agencies never see the information, he is left in the same position as if he had not given it, but 'had claimed his privilege in the absence of a * * * grant of immunity.' Murphy v. Waterfront Comm'n., 378 U.S. 52, 79, 84 S.Ct. 1594, 12 L.Ed.2d 678. This, combined with the protection against use to prove prior or concurrent offenses satisfies the Fifth Amendment requirements respecting self-incrimination.' 401 U.S. at 606, 91 S.Ct. at 1117.

5

Appellant's contention that the Act is unconstitutionally vague is likewise disposed of by Freed. Appellant argues that the statute fails to provide for the fortuity of possessing an abandoned weapon and for the criminal consequences thereof. It is evident from Freed that neither specific intent nor knowledge that the firearm is registered is required under the Act. 401 U.S. at 356, 91 S.Ct. at 1112. See also the concurring opinion of Mr. Justice Brennan wherein he notes that 'no intent at all need be proved in regard to one element of the offense-- the unregistered status of the (firearm).' 401 U.S. at 612, 91 S.Ct. at 1120. Thus possession of such a firearm, if unregistered, whether abandoned or not, is prohibited.

6

Appellant's remaining contention, that his constitutional right to bear arms had been infringed by the Act, misconstrues the Second Amendment which provides that 'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.' The Supreme Court dealt with such a constitutional attack directed against the National Firearms Act of 1934 in United States v. Miller, 307 U.S. 174, 178, 59 S.Ct. 816, 818, 83 L.Ed. 1206 (1939), in holding that 'In absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a 'shotgun having a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length' at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument.'

[*~1135]7

Affirmed.

1

Section 5861(d) makes it unlawful for any person 'to receive or possess a firearm which is not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.'

2

The revision was made in order to eliminate the objectional provisions of the Act found in Haynes. See 1968 U.S.Code Cong. & Adm.News, pp. 4435, 6042, 6046; S.Rep.No.1501, 90th Cong., 2d Sess. 26, 42, 48, 52; H.Rep.No. 1956, 90th Cong., 2d Sess. 35; United States v. Freed, 401 U.S. 601, 91 S.Ct. 1112; United States v. Black, 6 Cir., 1970, 431 F.2d 524

3

We used the same reasoning in upholding the constitutionality of a similar section of the Act in United States v. Ramsey, 5 Cir., 1970, 429 F.2d 565. See also Marshall v. United States, 5 Cir., 1970, 422 F.2d 185, and Burton v, United States, 5 Cir., 1969, 414 F.2d 261