United States v. Urbuteit

Decision Date15 April 1949
Docket NumberNo. 640,640
PartiesUNITED STATES v. URBUTEIT. On Petition for Certiorari Distributed
CourtU.S. Supreme Court

Mr. Philip B. Perlman, Sol. Gen., of Washington, D.C., for petitioner.

Mr. H. O. Pemberton, of Tallahassee, Fla., for respondent.

PER CURIAM.

The question presented by this petition is whether the Court of Appeals followed our mandate on remand of the cause in 335 U.S. 355, 69 S.Ct. 112.

The case when it was here earlier this Term appeared in the following posture:

A condemnation proceeding was instituted by the United States under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 52 Stat. 1044, 21 U.S.C. § 334, 21 U.S.C.A. § 334. Sixteen machines with alleged diagnostic and curative capabilities had been shipped in interstate commerce. Leaflets describing the uses of the machine had been shipped at a separate time. The Court of Appeals, 164 F.2d 245, had held that the separate shipments of the machines a d leaflets precluded a conclusion that the leaflets had accompanied the device in interstate commerce, and therefore the transaction was outside the reach of the Act. We reversed the Court of Appeals and held that the separate shipment of the machines and leaflets constituted a single interrelated activity.

On remand the Court of Appeals, 172 F.2d 386, concluded that because there were several shipments of machines and a single shipment of advertising matter, it was not clear which shipments might be considered a single interrelated activity. Therefore, it remanded the case to the District Court for a determination of this fact.

When the case was here before, we decided that the fact of separate shipments of machines and leaflets was immaterial. The controlling factors were whether the leaflets were designed for use with the machine and whether they were so used. Since the function of the leaflets and the purpose of their shipment were established, nothing more was needed to show that the movements of the machines and leaflets constituted a single interrelated activity. Moreover, the case is not complicated by shipments of machines and leaflets to different persons. One Kelsch was the recipient of both.

On remand the Court of Appeals adhered to its former ruling that the District Court erroneously excluded evi- dence as to the therapeutic or curative value of the machines. When the case was here before we did not disturb that ruling. But we did leave to the Court of Appeals for consideration a...

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3 cases
  • Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Farr
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • July 30, 1965
    ...United States v. Parke, Davis & Co., 365 U.S. 125, 81 S.Ct. 433, 5 L.Ed.2d 457 (1961) (per curiam); United States v. Urbuteit, 336 U.S. 804, 69 S.Ct. 840, 93 L.Ed. 1052 (1949) (per curiam); Briggs v. Pennsylvania R. R. Co., 334 U.S. 304, 68 S.Ct. 1039, 92 L.Ed. 1403 (1948); Kansas City So. ......
  • United States v. 47 BOTTLES, MORE OR LESS, ETC.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Third Circuit
    • July 16, 1963
    ...literature as labeling, and, it points out that the record is barren of any evidence of such actual use. United States v. Urbuteit, 336 U.S. 804, 69 S.Ct. 840, 93 L.Ed. 1052 (1949), and Kordel v. United States, 335 U.S. 345, 69 S.Ct. 106, 93 L.Ed. 52 (1948), are cited in support of this pos......
  • URBETEIT v. United States, 12033.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit
    • September 13, 1949
    ...D. C., for appellee. Before HUTCHESON, SIBLEY, and HOLMES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: The motion to affirm is granted. U. S. v. Urbuteit, 69 S.Ct. 840. SIBLEY, Circuit Judge My brethren feel compelled by the opinions of the Supreme Court in this case to grant the Government's motion to aff......

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