United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

United States v. Kapp, 302 U.S. 214 (1937)

United States v. Kapp

No. 97

Argued November 12, 1937

Decided December 6, 1937

302 U.S. 214

Syllabus

1. Within the meaning of the Criminal Appeals Act, an indictment for conspiracy (Criminal Code, § 37) to commit a substantive offense may be treated as founded on the statute defining the substantive offense. P. 302 U. S. 216.

2. The District Court sustained a demurrer to an indictment for conspiracy to violate the False Claims Act (§ 35 Criminal Code), upon the ground that that Act does not apply to an attempt to defraud the United States by obtaining approval of claims to payments of money through false representations if the statute authorizing such payments is invalid.

Held:

(1) A construction not of the indictment, but of the False Claims Act. P. 302 U. S. 217.

(2) An inadmissible construction. Id.

3. Those who attempt to obtain payments from the Government by false representations are estopped to defend upon the ground that the statute providing for such payments has been declared unconstitutional. P. 302 U. S. 218.

Reversed.

Page 302 U. S. 215

Appeal from a judgment sustaining a demurrer to an indictment and dismissing the cause.