Summary
The Supreme Court has established a principle for evaluating prior drug offenses in the context of sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). For a drug offense to be classified as "serious" for ACCA application, its severity must be determined by the maximum potential sentence permitted under the law at the specific time the conviction was entered. Subsequent amendments or reductions in state-level penalties for that offense are not to be considered when making this assessment.
Summary
The Supreme Court has issued a ruling concerning how courts should evaluate the seriousness of a past drug offense when applying the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) for sentencing. The Court determined that judges must base this assessment on the maximum sentence a person could have received for that drug crime at the time of their original conviction. Any later changes in state law that reduce the penalties for that specific offense should not be considered in this determination.
Summary
The Supreme Court has issued a ruling concerning how a past drug offense is evaluated for sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). The Court decided that to determine if a previous drug crime is considered "serious," courts must base their assessment on the maximum sentence that could have been imposed for that offense at the time of the original conviction. Any subsequent changes or reductions in state law penalties for that type of offense do not alter how serious it is judged for ACCA sentencing.
Summary
The highest court in the country made a decision about sentences. When a judge needs to decide if an old drug crime was "serious" for a prison sentence, they must look at the longest time a person could have gone to jail when they were first found guilty. The judges should not use any new law that might have made the punishment less severe later on.