Supreme Court Emphasizes Role of Juries With Three-Strikes Gun Law

Published on June 22, 2024

The Supreme Court ruled on June 21 that juries, rather than judges were responsible for determining facts that support enhanced sentences for criminals possessing firearms. The case—Erlinger v. United States—centered on the application of a three-strike law known as the Armed Career Criminal Act. That federal law mandates a 15-year minimum in sentencing for individuals who had prior convictions on three separate occasions of either violent felonies or “serious” drug offenses. Paul Erlinger had asked the court to overturn his sentencing from a lower court judge, who determined that he had enough separate occasions of the types of crimes needed to reach the 15-year minimum....

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