United States v. Marvin Joe Patterson, United States of America v. Thomas Charles Laythe

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that 28 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C) (1994) was a sentencing enhancement provision; it increased the term of imprisonment if death or serious injury resulted from the distribution of a controlled substance
• observing that § 841(b)(1)(A) is a\sentencing enhancement pro- vision\ and not a necessary element of liability
• observing that “[t]he district court could have sentenced below the statutory minimum only if this departure was based on the Government’s motion for downward departure due to Defendant’s substantial assistance”
• noting, without addressing vagueness, that § 841(b)(1)(C) “puts drug dealers and users on clear notice that their sentences will be enhanced if people die from using the drugs they distribute”
• “The statute puts drug dealers and users on clear notice that their sentences will be enhanced if people die from using the drugs they distribute.”
• “Section 2D1.1 also contains a sentence enhancement provision that parallels [21 U.S.C.] § 841(b)(1)(C) and applies when a defendant is convicted under § 841(b)(1)(C) and death results from the use of controlled substances. U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(a)(2)”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).