Quotes · Quote card
Quotation from Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder by Supreme Court of the United States
“When a statute speaks so specifically in terms of manipulation and deception, and of implementing devices and contrivances the commonly understood terminology of intentional wrongdoing and when its history reflects no more expansive intent, we are quite unwilling to extend the scope of the statute to negligent conduct.”
Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder, Opinion of the Court (Justice Powell) (U.S. Reports text (Legal Information Institute))
Justice Powell draws together the statute's wording and history to reject negligence liability.
Citation: "When a statute speaks so specifically in terms of manipulation and deception, and of implementing devices and contrivances the commonly understood terminology of intentional wrongdoing and when its history reflects no more expansive intent, we are quite unwilling to extend the scope of the statute to negligent conduct." — Supreme Court of the United States, Ernst & Ernst v. Hochfelder, Opinion of the Court (Justice Powell) (U.S. Reports text (Legal Information Institute)). (id ernst-and-ernst-v-hochfelder-q3)
Portrait: US Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell - 1976 official portrait, Color negative by Robert S. Oakes, Public domain.
