Lambert v. California

Lambert v. California
Argued April 3, 1957
Reargued October 16–17, 1957
Decided December 16, 1957
Full case nameLambert v. California
Citations355 U.S. 225 (more)
78 S. Ct. 240, 2 L. Ed. 2d 228, 1957 U.S. LEXIS 3
ArgumentOral argument
Holding
When applied to a person who has no actual knowledge of his duty to register, and no showing is made of the probability of such knowledge, the ordinance violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Earl Warren
Associate Justices
Hugo Black · Felix Frankfurter
William O. Douglas · Harold H. Burton
Tom C. Clark · John M. Harlan II
William J. Brennan Jr. · Charles E. Whittaker
Case opinions
MajorityDouglas, joined by Warren, Black, Clark, Brennan
DissentBurton
DissentFrankfurter, joined by Harlan, Whittaker
Laws applied
U.S. Const. Amend. XIV

Lambert v. California, 355 U.S. 225 (1957), was a United States Supreme Court case regarding the defense of ignorance of the law when there is no legal notice. The court held that when one is required to register one's presence, failure to register may be punished only when there is a probability that the accused party had knowledge of the law before committing the crime of failing to register.