SCOTUS recognized in Lambert v California (1957) and Cheek v US (1991) that ignorance of the law can be an excuse. In Lambert the SCOTUS found that a felon who had just moved to Los Angeles could not be expected to read all the city codes and know that felons were required to register with the city. It is said that lower courts have largely ignored Lambert, reverting to "ignorance is no excuse". Even if ignorance may be an excuse in some situations, such situations will be rare.
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