Ratzlaf v. United States, 510 U.S. 135, 8 (1994)

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142

RATZLAF v. UNITED STATES

Opinion of the Court

financial agencies, and § 5316,9 concerning declaration of the transportation of more than $10,000 into, or out of, the United States. Decisions involving these provisions describe a "willful" actor as one who violates "a known legal duty." See, e. g., United States v. Sturman, 951 F. 2d 1466, 1476-1477 (CA6 1991) ("willful violation" of § 5314's reporting requirement for foreign financial transactions requires proof of " 'voluntary, intentional violation of a known legal duty' ") (quoting Cheek v. United States, 498 U. S. 192, 201 (1991)); United States v. Warren, 612 F. 2d 887, 890 (CA5 1980) ("willful violation" of § 5316's reporting requirement for transportation of currency across international boundaries requires that defendant "have actually known of the currency reporting requirement and have voluntarily and intentionally violated that known legal duty"); United States v. Dichne, 612 F. 2d 632, 636 (CA2 1979) ("willful violation" of § 5316's reporting requirement for transportation of currency across international boundaries requires proof of defendant's " 'knowledge of the reporting requirement and his specific intent to commit the crime' ") (quoting Granda, 565 F. 2d, at 926); Granda, 565 F. 2d, at 924-926 (overturning conviction for "willful violation" of § 5316 because jury was not given "proper instruction [that] would include some discussion of defendant's ignorance of the law" and rejecting Government's contention that the statutory provisions "do not require that the defendant be aware of the fact that he is breaking the law").10

9 Section 5316 requires the filing of reports prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury when "a person or an agent or bailee of the person . . . knowingly (1) transports, is about to transport, or has transported, monetary instruments of more than $10,000 at one time" into, or out of, the United States.

10 "[S]pecific intent to commit the crime[s]" described in 31 U. S. C. §§ 5313, 5314, and 5316 might be negated by, e. g., proof that defendant relied in good faith on advice of counsel. See United States v. Eisenstein, 731 F. 2d 1540, 1543-1544 (CA11 1984).

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