17 Dec
2003
17 Dec
'03
11:17 p.m.
Hal says:
The old saw "ignorance of the law is no excuse" is basically accurate. [...] I don't know how true this is in general, but my research into the arms export question indicated otherwise.
Congress can, in the way it words a law, specifically make it a requirement that you knew an act was illegal. However, 99% of the time, "ignorance is no excuse" holds. Similarly, on some laws, the requirement of intent to commit the act is unnecessary. Mens rea is not needed, for example, to be found guilty of speeding -- you need merely have committed the act regardless of whether you intended to travel at a particular speed. Perry