United States v. Davis

The case asked whether part of a federal gun law, 18 U.S.C. §924(c)(3)(B), was too vague in how it defined a "crime of violence." On June 24, 2019, the Court said that subsection is unconstitutional.

The Court decided on June 24, 2019, that §924(c)(3)(B) is unconstitutional. The prompt does not provide the vote count or opinion lineup.

This affects federal prosecutions that seek extra prison time for using or carrying a firearm during a crime labeled violent under that definition. For example, defendants charged in cases tied to robbery or conspiracy may challenge added penalties based on §924(c)(3)(B).

The Supreme Court has finished this case. The practical next step is for lower courts to apply that ruling in Davis, Glover, and similar federal cases.

The main issue was whether §924(c)(3)(B) defined "crime of violence" too vaguely. The Court said that part of the law is unconstitutional.

Federal defendants facing added gun penalties under §924(c)(3)(B) are most directly affected. That includes some cases linked to Hobbs Act robbery or conspiracy charges.

The Supreme Court's work on this docket is over. Lower courts must now handle the defendants' cases and similar cases under the new rule.