United States v. Mon Kee Lee

Paul H. Norboe petitions for an award of compensation as an informer under section 183, chapter 6, title 21, USCA. The statute, so far as applicable here, provides that: “One-half of any bail forfeited and collected in any proceedings” where any person exports or causes to be exported any narcotic drugs in violation of law, “may be paid to the person or persons giving the information which led to the institution of such proceedings, if so directed by the court exercising jurisdiction in the case.”

The undisputed facts show that petitioner is not an officer or employee of the United States; that on or about November 9, 1934, petitioner gave original information to the United States Customs Agent at San Francisco which led to the seizure of two pounds of morphine on the steamship Tatsuta Maru, and the arrest of the above-named defendants; that on November 27, 1934, said defendants were indicted by the federal grand jury, being charged with felony, to wit, violation of the Jones-Miller Act, § 1 as amended by Act June 7, 1924, 21 USCA § 174, and conspiracy to violate said act; that on November 27, 1934, upon the return of the indictments, bail was fixed in the sum of $10,000 for each…