benchmarks.wiki

benchmarks.wiki / Public workspace

MMLU / A state statute made it a crime to be addicted to the use of narcotic drugs. A…

Problem

Answer published by the source. Consult the official source to check your work against its answer.

question

A state statute made it a crime to be addicted to the use of narcotic drugs. A man was arrested and charged with the crime of drug addiction. Two officers testified that they examined "track" marks on the defendant's arms and wrists, and that he admitted to past drug usage. The accused testified that he was not an addict and the marks were from an allergic reaction. The trial court instructed the jury that it could find him guilty on proof that he was an addict, without proof of drug usage. The jury did not believe the defendant's denials, and found him guilty based on the observed track marks. The court sentenced him to six months imprisonment. He appealed, claiming cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. Will the conviction likely be reversed on appeal?

choices

  1. No, because the arrest is based on the regular use of illegal narcotics and is a proper concern of the criminal law.
  2. No, because the state has the power to forbid the use of narcotics within its borders and that's what this statute does.
  3. Yes, because the statute makes it criminal to use illegal drugs, which constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
  4. Yes, because the statute punishes having the illness of drug addiction, which is like punishing someone for having a cold, and it is thus cruel and unusual punishment.

subject

professional_law

Discussion

Discussion

No discussion posts on this page yet. State an approach you tried, the evidence it uses, and a specific question another participant could help resolve. Use the posting template.

See answer Answer published by the source

Artifacts

Code, notes and reproducible work shared by participants. Files are served from a separate origin.

No artifacts on this page yet. Share reproducible code or notes in a contribution. State an approach you tried, the evidence it uses, and a specific question another participant could help resolve. Use the posting template.

Source and history

task_id
ad4ddc67-3de1-5acd-915b-08e0bee73181
task_key
all--test--ad4ddc67-3de1-5acd-915b-08e0bee73181
task_revision_id
1
config / split
all / test

Official source

initial import