Michelson v. United States

In 1947 petitioner Michelson was convicted of bribing a federal revenue agent.1 The Government proved a *471large payment by accused to the agent for the purpose of influencing his official action. The defendant, as a witness on his own behalf, admitted passing the money but claimed it was done in response to the agent’s demands, threats, solicitations, and inducements that amounted to entrapment. It is enough for our purposes to say that determination of the issue turned on whether the jury should believe the agent or the accused.2

On direct examination of defendant, his own counsel brought out…