Legal Opinion
People v. Flinn
New York County Courts
Decided January 13, 1986PublishedCited by 2 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT
Joseph P. McCarthy, J.
"Our Constitution is designed to maximize individual freedoms within a framework of ordered liberty.” (Kolender v Lawson, 461 US 352, 357.) Included among the paramount legal doctrines applicable to the continual attempt to attain this goal is that which requires legislative bodies, in enacting penal statutes or ordinances, to specify the conduct which must be taken or avoided in reasonably precise language. A penal statute must "define the criminal offense with sufficient definiteness that ordinary people can understand what conduct is prohibited and…
2Cases cited13 opinions
- Terry v. OhioSupreme Court of the United States · 1968
- Connally v. General Construction Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1926
- Kolender v. LawsonSupreme Court of the United States · 1983
- Smith v. GoguenSupreme Court of the United States · 1974
- Davis v. MississippiSupreme Court of the United States · 1969
8 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by2 opinions
- People v. AliCriminal Court of the City of New York · 1989
- People v. DonatoNew Rochelle City Court · 1998