National Prohibition Research Paper

In 1920 the national prohibition act, also known as the Volstead Act was placed into effect February 1st. The act itself has three sections, the first section is a system for war time prohibition, the second section a system for the national prohibition act, and a third section for the regulation of production of industrial alcohol. The act made it illegal to sell or produce alcoholic beverages unless it was for medical or religious reasons. The act also elucidates what intoxicating beverages that contains as little as one half of one percent of alcohol, but allowed for the manufacture, possession, and use of the beverages in private homes. The act also has specific provisions limiting searches of private homes; this is where the entrapment

Sorrells’ plead not guilty to the charges due to entrapment. As Sorrells defense he stated that he told martin that he did not mess with whiskey several times before yielding. Furthermore, in sorrells defense one of the other parties stated that he did not know that sorrells had ties to liquor or that martin was an agent. Sorrells neighbors also testified to his character and the timekeeper at the factory testified that sorrells was a good worker and always had great punctuality during his six years of employment there at the factory. During the lower courts trial Sorrells’ was convicted due to agent martins’ testimony that he was the only persons in the home who asked sorrells about getting the alcohol. One of the acquaintances’ of martin testified to sorrells reputation as a rumrunner also helped with sorrells conviction. During the trial the court did not allow entrapment to be raised, ruling that it had not occurred as a matter of law. Sorrells was found guilty and sentenced to eighteen months of imprisonment. The appeals court affirmed the conviction, where sorrells attorney introduced a petition for writ of certiorari. The courts granted the certiorari on the condition whether or not there was sufficient evidence on entrapment to go to the jury.