United States v. Strong
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| United States v. Strong | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit |
| Decided | July 19, 2013 |
| Citation | 724 F.3d 51 (1st Cir. 2013). |
| Case history | |
| Appealed from | United States District Court for the District of Maine |
| Court membership | |
| Judges sitting | Sandra Lynch, Juan R. Torruella, & William J. Kayatta Jr. |
| Case opinions | |
| Decision by | Sandra Lynch |
| Concurrence | William J. Kayatta Jr. |
| Dissent | Juan R. Torruella |
| Keywords | |
In United States v. Ronald J. Strong, 724 F.3d 51 (1st Cir. 2013),[1] the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit had to consider if the violation of federal regulations occurring on a federal property could still stand if such regulations had not met posting requirements.
At around 11:30 a.m. on May 24, 2011, Ronald Strong entered the Edward T. Gignoux Courthouse in Portland, Maine.[2] As he was going through security Strong informed the court security officer that he needed to use the bathroom, was told he had to pass through security, soiled himself, and was escorted to the restroom, in that order;[3] about ten minutes later, he headed to the clerk's office.[4]
Approximately fifteen minutes after Strong's departure, a law enforcement officer approached the restroom to use it, found it severely soiled, and summoned a cleaner,[4] who later recalled that "seventy-five percent of the floor was covered in feces", that more had been "smeared more than two feet up on the walls", and that even more could be found "on the paper towel and toilet paper dispensers, on the toilet paper itself, and on part of the toilet seat and the left side of the toilet bowl".[5] For this, on May 27, 2011, Strong was charged with three misdemeanors,[6] willfully damaging federal property,[7] creating a hazard on federal property,[8] and creating a nuisance on federal property.[9]
At trial Strong argued that the court was out of compliance with posting regulations which was a requirement to charge him. Additionally Strong argued the government had failed to show his intent at the time.[10] He was sentenced to seven days in jail.[1][11]