United States v. Herminio Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826 (9th Cir. 1976). · Go Syfert
United States v. Herminio Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826 (9th Cir. 1976). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
43 citation events (19 in the last 25 years) across 16 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: United States v. Mousavi (ca9, 2010-05-05)
Treatment trajectory · 1978 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1978 2002 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 21 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Mousavi
9th Cir. · 2010 · confidence medium
Similarly, prior to Cheek and Ratzlaff, we indicated that “willfulness” under a complex anti-exportation statute required proof of “a voluntary, intentional violation of a known legal duty,” United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976), but we considered this standard satisfied where the government proved “that the defendant [knew] that his conduct ... is violative of the law.” Id. at 828-29 .
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Zhen Zhou Wu
D. Mass. · 2009 · confidence medium
In the case of United States v. Murphy, 852 F.2d 1 (1 Cir., 1988), cert. denied, 489 U.S. 1022 , 109 S.Ct. 1145 , 103 L.Ed.2d 205 (1989) the Court wrote that all the Government must prove is that the defendants acted willfully, and “willfulness means that ‘defendant must know that his conduct in exporting from the United States articles proscribed by the statute is violative of the law.’ In other words, the ‘government must prove that the defendant voluntarily and intentionally violated a known legal duty not to export the proscribed articles.’ ” Id. at 7 (quoting United States v. …
cited Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Roth
E.D. Tenn. · 2009 · confidence medium
United States v. Beck, 615 F.2d 441, 450-51 (7th Cir.1980) (citing United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828-29 (9th Cir.1976)). 7.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Quinn
D.D.C. · 2005 · confidence medium
Defining the Element of Willfulness This Court previously has said that IEEPA’s criminal provision “demands proof that a defendant acted with knowledge of the illegality of his actions,” see Order of Nov. 23, 2005, at 2, and has further defined willfulness in this context as the “voluntary, intentional violation of a known legal duty,” id. at 3 (citing United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976)).
cited Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Marvin L. Wiseman, United States of America v. William D. Mett
9th Cir. · 2001 · confidence medium
Ratzlaf v. United States, 510 U.S. 135 , 114 S.Ct. 655 , 126 L.Ed.2d 615 (1994), and United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976), do not require a different result.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Kuhali v. Reno
2d Cir. · 2001 · confidence medium
See Beck, 615 F.2d at 450 (defendant convicted under § 2778 “did not merely purchase guns in South Africa which had already been exported” but “worked actively ... in developing the export plan”); United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 827 (9th Cir.1976) (defendant admitted “that he purchased the ammunition and that he intended to .export it to Mexico,” but his defense was “that he had 'no knowledge that his conduct violated the law”).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Kuhali v. Reno
2d Cir. · 2001 · confidence medium
See Beck, 615 F.2d at 450 (defendant convicted under § 2778 "did not merely purchase guns in South Africa which had already been exported" but "worked actively... in developing the export plan"); United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 827 (9th Cir. 1976) (defendant admitted "that he purchased the ammunition and that he intended to export it to Mexico," but his defense was "that he had no knowledge that his conduct violated the law").
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States of America,plaintiff-Appellee v. Gerald A. Henderson
9th Cir. · 2001 · confidence medium
In particular, proof of knowledge of unlawfulness is required when the criminal conduct is contained in a regulation instead of in a statute, and when the conduct punished is not obviously unlawful, creating a “danger of ensnaring individuals engaged in apparently innocent conduct.” Id. at 194 , 118 S.Ct. 1939 ; see also Ratzlaf, 510 U.S. at 146 , 114 S.Ct. 655 ; United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Racich
S.D. Cal. · 1999 · confidence medium
See United States v. Gregg, 829 F.2d 1430, 1437 (8th Cir.1987) (holding that “all that the Government needs to prove is that the item exported [is prohibited from exportation] ... and ... that the defendant knowingly and willfully exported it ... without an appropriate license”); United States v. Beck, 615 F.2d 441, 450 (7th Cir.1980) (holding that “[t]he illegal act required ... is an export, ... that is, the movement of goods across the international border”); United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 827 (9th Cir.1976) (applying 22 U.S.C. § 1934 (the predecessor statute o…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Bernstein v. United States Department of State
N.D. Cal. · 1996 · confidence medium
Finally, defendants contest plaintiff’s vagueness challenge to the “willful” requirement for criminal penalties, citing the Ninth Circuit’s clarification that under the AECA willfulness requires a “voluntary, intentional violation of known legal duty_” United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (1976) (construing the predecessor to the AECA).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Obiechie
N.D. Ill. · 1993 · confidence medium
In United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 827 (9th Cir.1976), the Ninth Circuit analyzed the “willful” requirement as follows: Two features of 22 U.S.C. § 1934 [the predecessor statute to 22 U.S.C. § 2778 ] strongly indicate that Congress used the term “willful” to .require a showing of specific intent.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. George R. Mitchell
4th Cir. · 1993 · confidence medium
CONCLUSION 34 For the reasons stated above, the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED 1 See, e.g., United States v. Gregg, 829 F.2d 1430 , 1437 n.14 (8th Cir.) (construing § 2778(b)(2)), cert. denied, 486 U.S. 1022 (1987); United States v. Beck, 615 F.2d 441, 450 (7th Cir. 1980) (same); United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828-29 (9th Cir. 1976) (construing 22 U.S.C. § 1934 ); Samora v. United States, 406 F.2d 1095, 1098 (5th Cir. 1969) (same) 2 See United States v. Bromberg, 933 F.2d 895, 896 (10th Cir. 1991); United States v. Gregory, 932 F.2d 1167, 1169 (6th Cir. 1991)…
cited Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Ortiz De Zevallos
S.D. Fla. · 1990 · confidence medium
And negligence, “even gross negligence, does not satisfy the willfulness requirement.” United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Noel Murphy, A/K/A Noel O'murchu, United States of America v. Ciarin Hughes
1st Cir. · 1988 · confidence medium
While the act does require proof of specific intent, willfulness means that “defendant must know that his conduct in exporting from the United States articles proscribed by the statute is violative of the law.” United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828-29 (9th Cir.1976) (requiring specific intent under 22 U.S.C. sec. 1934 , the predecessor statute to sec. 2778).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Smith
D. Or. · 1988 · confidence medium
Willfulness connotes an act which is “voluntary and purposeful and ... committed with the specific intent to do or fail to do what [the defendant] knows is unlawful.” United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Edwin Paul Wilson
4th Cir. · 1983 · confidence medium
See United States v. Hernandez, 662 F.2d 289, 292 (5th Cir.1981); United States v. Wieschenberg, 604 F.2d 326, 331 (5th Cir.1979); United States v. Davis, 583 F.2d 190, 193 (5th Cir.1978); United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) United States v. Carlos Albert Rodriguez
9th Cir. · 1979 · confidence medium
See, e. g., United States v. Jewell, 532 F.2d 697, 699, 704 (9th Cir. 1976) (en banc); United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir. 1976); United States v. Tolkow, 532 F.2d 853 (2d Cir. 1976).
cited Cited "see" United States v. Mousavi
9th Cir. · 2010 · signal: see · confidence high
See United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826, 828 (9th Cir.1976).
examined Cited "see" United States v. Frederick Schultz (3×)
2d Cir. · 2003 · signal: see · confidence high
See id. at 828 .
cited Cited "see, e.g." Citron v. Citron
S.D.N.Y. · 1982 · signal: see also · confidence low
See also United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga (9th Cir. 1976) 541 F.2d 826, 828 ; Beard v. Akzona (E.D.Tenn.1981) 517 F.Supp. 128, 134 .
discussed Cited "see, e.g." United States v. Frederick Lyle McIntyre United States of America v. Dale Irwin Vanbuskirk
9th Cir. · 1978 · signal: compare · confidence low
Compare, United States v. Lizarraga-Lizarraga, 541 F.2d 826 (9th Cir. 1976) with United States v. Ehrlichman, 178 U.S.App.D.C. 144 , 546 F.2d 910 (1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1120 , 97 S.Ct. 1155 , 51 L.Ed.2d 570 (1977).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Herminio LIZARRAGA-LIZARRAGA, Defendant-Appellant
76-1677.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Oct 18, 1976.
541 F.2d 826
James D. Whitney (argued), Tucson, Ariz., for defendant-appellant., William D. Vogel, Asst. U. S. Atty. (argued), Tucson, Ariz., for plaintiff-appellee.
Barnes, Kennedy, East.
Cited by 33 opinions  |  Published

OPINION

Before BARNES and KENNEDY, Circuit Judges, and EAST, * District Judge. BARNES, Senior Circuit Judge.

On December 27,1975, the defendant was arrested at the port of entry on the Arizona-Mexico Border, Nogales, Arizona. Found in the tractor-trailer that the defendant was driving was ammunition proscribed by the regulations promulgated pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1934. The ammunition was found secreted in the door panel of the truck cab, the refrigeration unit in the truck body, and behind the driver’s seat in the truck cab.

At trial and on appeal, the defendant admits that he purchased the ammunition and that he intended to export it to Mexico. His defense is based on the contention that he had no knowledge that his conduct violated the law. Hence, the appellant claims that in order to be found guilty under 22 U.S.C. § 1934, the government must prove that he intended to violate the statute.

In relevant part, the indictment charges appellant with “wilfully and unlawfully attempting] to export and take out of the United States . . . and into the Republic of Mexico ammunition” in violation of 22 U.S.C. § 1934. The defendant argues that the “willfully” requirement of § 1934(c) imposes a specific intent limitation upon the statute. The district court did not agree. In instructing the jury on general intent, the trial judge stated:

“Under the law an act is done knowingly if it is done voluntarily and intentionally and not because of mistake or accident or other innocent reason . . .. Before a defendant may be found guilty of a crime, the prosecution must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that under the statute and regulations defined in the instructions, the defendant was forbidden to do the acts which are charged against him in the indictment, and that he intentionally committed such acts. Now, in determining the defendant’s intention or state of mind with which acts are done, the law assumes that every person intends the natural consequences of his voluntary acts. Therefore, the general intent required to be proved as an element of the crime involved here is inferred from the defendant’s voluntary commission of the act forbidden by law, and it is not necessary to establish, or for the Government to prove that the defendant knew that his act was a violation of the law.”

[*828] R.T. at 101-02. The defendant contends that this general intent instruction constituted reversible error. We agree, and hold that he was entitled to a specific intent instruction. Accordingly, we reverse his conviction and remand for a new trial.

Two features of 22 U.S.C. § 1934 strongly indicate that Congress used the term “willful” to require a showing of specific intent. First, the statute prohibits exportation of items listed by administrative regulation, not by the statute itself. Second, upon referring to the pertinent regulation, 22 C.F.R. part 121, we find that the regulation contains an exhaustive list of items including amphibious vehicles, pressure-breathing suits, aerial cameras, “privacy devices,” and concealment equipment (including paints). Unlike those substances which are known generally to be controlled by government regulation, such as heroin or like drugs, these items might be exported or imported innocently. Under such circumstances, it appears likely that Congress would have wanted to require a voluntary, intentional violation of a known legal duty not to export such items before predicating criminal liability.

The Fifth Circuit appears to agree with our conclusion. In Etheridge v. United States, 380 F.2d 804 (5th Cir. 1967), the defendants were charged with willfully and unlawfully exporting from the United States a T-28 aircraft in violation of 22 U.S.C. § 1934. In affirming the convictions, the court held that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury’s finding that “each of the defendants knew it was unlawful to export from the United States to Haiti the aircraft . . .Id. at 807. (emphasis added). Although the court did not directly hold that § 1934 imposes a specific intent limitation upon criminal liability, the language employed by the court strongly implied that such a specific intent limitation is applicable.

As additional authority. for our holding today that the term “willful” in § 1934 requires a showing of specific intent, we rely upon the interpretation by courts of the term “willful” in the Revenue Acts. See 26 U.S.C. §§ 7201-07. In defining this term under the revenue statutes, the Supreme Court has recently stated:

“The Court . . . has recognized that the word ‘willfully’ in these statutes generally connotes a voluntary, intentional violation of a known legal duty. It has formulated the requirement of willfulness as ‘bad faith or evil intent,’ or ‘evil motive and want of justification in view of all the financial circumstances of the taxpayer,’ or knowledge that the taxpayer ‘should have reported more income than he did.’ ”

United States v. Bishop, 412 U.S. 346, 360, 93 S.Ct. 2008, 2017, 36 L.Ed.2d 941 (1973) (citations omitted). See McCarthy v. United States, 394 U.S. 459, 471, 89 S.Ct. 1166, 22 L.Ed.2d 418 (1969); Sansone v. United States, 380 U.S. 343, 353, 85 S.Ct. 1004, 13 L.Ed.2d 882 (1965); James v. United States, 366 U.S. 213, 221, 81 S.Ct. 1052, 6 L.Ed.2d 246 (1961); Spies v. United States, 317 U.S. 492, 498, 63 S.Ct. 364, 87 L.Ed. 418 (1943); United States v. Murdock, 290 U.S. 389, 394-98, 54 S.Ct. 223, 78 L.Ed. 381 (1933). Thus, mere negligence, even gross negligence, does not satisfy the willfulness requirement. United States v. Colacurcio, 514 F.2d 1, 8 (9th Cir. 1975); United States v. Klee, 494 F.2d 394, 395 and n. 1 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 835, 95 S.Ct. 62, 42 L.Ed.2d 61 (1974). Rather, the willfulness requirement is satisfied if the defendant’s act or failure to act is voluntary and purposeful, and if committed with the specific intent to do or fail to do what he knows is unlawful. United States v. Swanson, 509 F.2d 1205, 1210 (8th Cir. 1975); United States v. Klee, supra, 494 F.2d at 395 and n. 1. <

Similar to the revenue statutes, Congress in enacting 22 U.S.C. § 1934 did not intend to criminally penalize innocent or negligent errors. This assertion is supported by the pertinent regulations ordered pursuant to § 1934 (22 C.F.R. part 121), which prohibit the exportation of an extensive list of items, many of which could be exported either innocently or negligently. Rather, the “willfully” requirement of § 1934 indicates that the defendant must know that[*829] his conduct in exporting from the United States articles proscribed by the statute is violative of the law. Etheridge v. United States, supra, 380 F.2d at 807.

Accordingly, we hold that in order for a defendant to be found guilty of exporting under 22 U.S.C. § 1934, the government must prove that the defendant voluntarily and intentionally violated a known legal duty not to export the proscribed articles, and the jury should be so instructed.

The judgment of the district court is reversed, and the matter remanded for a second trial.