United States v. Park
| United States v. Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued March 18–19, 1975 Decided June 9, 1975 | |
| Full case name | United States v. Park |
| Docket no. | 74-215 |
| Citations | 421 U.S. 658 (more) 95 S. Ct. 1903; 44 L. Ed. 2d 489; 1975 U.S. LEXIS 69 |
| Holding | |
| Even if there is no affirmative wrongdoing, the manager of a corporation can be prosecuted under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Burger, joined by Douglas, Brennan, White, Blackmun, Rehnquist |
| Dissent | Stewart, joined by Marshall, Powell |
United States v. Park, 421 U.S. 658 (1975), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could pierce the corporate veil. The defendant, Park, was the CEO of Acme International. Park had failed to comply with a mandate from the FDA, under the Federal Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Act, to keep conditions within his warehouses legally sanitary.
In the case, the Court found Park strictly liable for the unsanitary conditions that his company had created, arguing for strict liability under the rationale that the Federal Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Act was a 'public welfare' statute. The Court concluded that as a welfare statute, the purpose was to prevent egregious social harm; therefore, the Defendant could be held strictly liable for the crime.
The Court held that if someone were to willingly be in charge of a company, and therefore its problems, then he or she willingly accepts the consequences of any illegal practices that his or her company or organization is involved in. An exception is made if the problem is impossible to fix.
See also
- List of United States Supreme Court cases
- Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume
- List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Burger Court
- United States v. Dotterweich
External links
- Text of United States v. Park, 421 U.S. 658 (1975) is available from: CourtListener Findlaw Google Scholar Justia Library of Congress Oyez (oral argument audio)
 | This article related to the Supreme Court of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |