| Court: | Maine Supreme Court |
| Facts: | Prosecution for adultery: the wife was already married. They had consulted with a justice of the peace, and he told them it would be OK. |
| Posture: | Guilty at trial, presumably. |
| Issue: | Should evidence about their mistaken belief have been accepted? |
| Holding: | No. Affirmed. |
| Rule: | Adultery requires intent, and they had it. A mistaken belief about the law does not negate intent. |
| Reasoning: | They were guilty of negligence and fault taking the magistrate at his word. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. |
| Dicta: | |