Barrett v. United States

Summary

The Court held that Congress did not authorize two convictions for a single act violating both 18 U. S. C. §§924(c)(1)(A)(i) and (j). Those provisions define the same offense under Blockburger, and neither the statutory text nor its structure clearly overcomes the presumption against multiple convictions. The Court reversed the relevant part of the Second Circuit’s judgment and remanded. Jackson authored the Court’s opinion except for Part IV–C, whose legislative-history analysis was joined only by Roberts, Sotomayor, and Kagan. Gorsuch concurred in part without any joining Justice, agreeing with the statutory holding and joining all but Part IV–C while suggesting that the Double Jeopardy Clause should prohibit multiple convictions for the same offense regardless of congressional intent. The Court expressly left that constitutional question unresolved.