At page 422 Defining the allowable unit of prosecution for firearm possession15 citing cases“congress intended the 'allowable unit of prosecution' to be an incident of possession regardless of whether a defendant satisfied more than one 922(g) classification, possessed more than one firearm, or possessed a firearm and ammunition.”
- Verenzo Cartrell Green v. State of Mississippi, 183 So. 3d 78 (Miss. Ct. App. 2015).published(Congress intended the ‘allowable unit of prosecution’ to be an incident of possession regardless of whether a defendant satisfied more than one § 922(g) classification, possessed more than one firearm, or possessed a f…)
- State of Iowa v. Milton Andrew Bokemeyer, 8 N.W.3d 188 (Iowa Ct. App. 2024).published(collecting cases)
- United States v. Eric Harper, No. 21-1594 (8th Cir. July 14, 2022).unpublishedUnited States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421, 422 (8th Cir. 2006) (en banc) (per curiam); United States v. Maxim, 55 F.3d 394, 397 (8th Cir. 1995).
- United States v. Joshua Grant, 15 F.4th 452 (6th Cir. 2021).published United States v. Parker, 508 F.3d 434, 440 (7th Cir. 2007); United States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421, 422 (8th Cir. 2006) (en banc) (per curiam); United States v. Shea, 211 F.3d 658, 673 (1st Cir. 2000); United States v. Dunford, 148 F.3d…
- Norris v. United States, No. 1:19-cv-00012 (E.D. Mo. Nov. 15, 2019).That rule was announced in United States v. Woolsey, 759 F.3d 905 (8th Cir. 2014): A felon's possession of both a firearm and ammunition comprises only one offense, “barring proof that the firearms were obtained at different times or store…
- Armstrong Knight v. State of Mississippi, 192 So. 3d 360 (Miss. Ct. App. 2016).publishedUnited States v. Kennedy, 682 F.3d 244, 255 (3d Cir.2012); United States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421, 422 (8th Cir.2006); United States v. Buchmeier, 255 F.3d 415, 422 (7th Cir.2001); United States v. Adams, 214 F.3d 724, 728 (6th Cir.2000…
- United States v. Raymond Zareck, 588 F. App'x 100 (3d Cir. 2014).unpublished(examining precedent supporting the imposition of one sentence)
- United States v. John Woolsey, Jr., 759 F.3d 905 (8th Cir. 2014).publishedWoolsey bases his claim on United States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421, 422 (8th Cir.2006) (en banc) (per curiam), which held that a defendant could not be prosecuted on separate counts for being a *908 felon in possession of a firearm and a…
- United States v. Charles Yocum, 401 F. App'x 166 (8th Cir. 2010).unpublished In United States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421, 422 (8th Cir.2006) (en banc), decided three years before the sentencing in this case, we joined the other circuits that had addressed the issue and held, en banc, that “Congress intended the ‘a…
- United States v. Platter, 435 F. Supp. 2d 913 (N.D. Iowa 2006).published Id. at 422.
Show 5 more citing cases
- United States v. Keith Carnes, 22 F.4th 743 (8th Cir. 2022).publishedSee United States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421, 422 (8th Cir. 2006) (en banc) (per curiam) (holding that multiple counts of conviction under § 922(g) arising out of a single act of possession of a firearm should be merged at sentencing into…
- United States v. Parker, 508 F.3d 434 (7th Cir. 2007).published See United States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421 , 422 (8th Cir. 2006) (en banc) (“Congress intended the ‘allowable unit of prosecution’ to be an incident of possession regardless of whether a defendant satisfied more than one § 922(g) classi…
- United States v. Mary Therese Pierce, 179 F. App'x 975 (8th Cir. 2006).unpublishedSee Richardson, 439 F.3d at 422 (separate convictions under § 922(g)(1) and § 922(g)(3) arising out of single act of firearm possession are multiplicitous; vacating sentence with instructions to merge counts of conviction and resentence de…
- United States v. Michael Modena, 430 F. App'x 444 (6th Cir. 2011).unpublishedSee, e.g., United States v. Richardson, 439 F.3d 421, 422 (8th Cir.2006) (en banc) (per curiam); United States v. Munoz-Romo, 989 F.2d 757, 759-60 (5th Cir.1993); cf. United States v. Throneburg, 921 F.2d 654, 657 (6th Cir.1990) (separate…
- United States v. William Stegmeier, 701 F.3d 574 (8th Cir. 2012).published
At page 423 Recommending relief for ineffective assistance of counsel3 citing casesfense); United States v. Valentine, 706 F.2d 282, 292-94 (10th Cir.1983) (applying Bell to hold that the simultaneous possession of more than one weapon…
- United States v. Ocampo, 919 F. Supp. 2d 898 (E.D. Mich. 2013).publishedFinding that Petitioner’s counsel was ineffective for not raising this issue, he recommends that the Court “vacate the sentence, merge the counts of conviction into one count, and resentence the defendant based on a single conviction.” Id.…
- United States v. Platter, 514 F.3d 782 (8th Cir. 2008).publishedSee Richardson, 439 F.3d at 423; Roy, 408 F.3d at 492 & n. 4 (vacating one of Roy’s convictions as multiplicitous, and directing the Government, in future eases, to allege alternative means of committing. one offense in the same count of t…
- United States v. Kent Platter, No. 06-4139 (8th Cir. Jan. 10, 2008).publishedSee Richardson, 439 F.3d at 423; Roy, 408 F.3d at 492 & n.4 (vacating one of Roy's convictions as multiplicitous, and directing the Government, in future cases, to allege alternative means of committing one offense in the same count of the…
Other citing cases
- United States v. Jason Harris, 444 F. App'x 110 (8th Cir. 2011).unpublished
- United States v. Ball, 499 F.3d 890 (8th Cir. 2007).published
- United States v. Michael Gerald Gamboa, 439 F.3d 796 (8th Cir. 2006).published
- United States v. Jackson, 544 F.3d 351 (1st Cir. 2008).published
v.
Earnest Jesse RICHARDSON, Also Known as Ernest Jesse Richardson, Also Known as Torrence C. Epps, Defendant—Appellant
We issued a panel opinion in this matter on November 4, 2005. The defendant filed for rehearing en banc on the limited issue[*422] set forth in Section V of that opinion, namely, whether a defendant, based upon a single act of possession, can be convicted and punished under both 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (felon in possession) and (g)(3) (drug user in possession). The government conceded that rehearing is appropriate and joined the defendant in his request for rehearing en banc. For the reasons set forth below, we grant the petition for rehearing and vacate Section V of our prior opinion. This grant of rehearing does not affect the other sections of our prior opinion.
We briefly summarize the facts relevant to the issue before the en banc court. Richardson was convicted of a single incident of possession of a firearm on February 4, 2003. At the time he possessed the firearm he was both a convicted felon and a drug user. The government charged Richardson in two separate counts, that is, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm on February 4, 2003, and a separate count of being a drug user in possession of a firearm on the same date. Richardson argued that the counts of conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and being a drug user in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) arose out of a single act of possession of a firearm and, therefore, should have been merged at sentencing into a single offense. The panel decision in this case affirmed the multiple convictions based on our controlling precedent in United States v. Peterson, 867 F.2d 1110 (8th Cir.1989), abrogated on other grounds by Horton v. California, 496 U.S. 128, 110 S.Ct. 2301, 110 L.Ed.2d 112 (1990).
In Peterson, we held that separate convictions for § 922(g)(1) and § 922(g)(3) arising out of a single act of firearm possession were not multiplicitous. We now overrule Peterson and join all the other Circuits that have addressed this issue to hold that Congress intended the “allowable unit of prosecution” to be an incident of possession regardless of whether a defendant satisfied more than one § 922(g) classification, possessed more than one firearm, or possessed a firearm and ammunition. See Bell v. United States, 349 U.S. 81, 81, 75 S.Ct. 620, 99 L.Ed. 905 (1955) (describing the unit of prosecution test); see also, United States v. Verrecchia, 196 F.3d 294, 297-98 (1st Cir.1999) (applying Bell to hold that a felon’s possession of multiple firearms comprised a single offense); United States v. Dunford, 148 F.3d 385, 388-90 (4th Cir.1998) (applying Bell to hold that the possession of multiple firearms and ammunition by a felon who was also an illegal drug user comprised a single offense); United States v. Cunningham, 145 F.3d 1385, 1398-99 (D.C.Cir.1998) (applying Bell to hold that the possession of multiple firearms comprised only one offense barring proof that the firearms were obtained at different times or stored separately); United States v. Keen, 104 F.3d 1111, 1118-20 (9th Cir. 1996) (applying Bell to hold that a felon’s possession of a firearm and ammunition comprised only one offense); United States v. Hall, 77 F.3d 398, 402 (11th Cir.1996) (holding that a felon’s simultaneous possession of a firearm and ammunition comprised only one offense); United States v. Munoz-Romo, 989 F.2d 757, 758-59 (5th Cir.1993) (holding that the possession of a firearm by an illegal alien who was also a felon comprised only one offense); United States v. Throneburg, 921 F.2d 654, 657 (6th Cir.1990) (holding that a felon’s simultaneous possession of a firearm and ammunition comprised only one offense); United States v. Pelusio, 725 F.2d 161, 168-69 (2d Cir.1983) (applying Bell to hold that the receipt of a firearm and ammunition comprised only one of[*423] fense); United States v. Valentine, 706 F.2d 282, 292-94 (10th Cir.1983) (applying Bell to hold that the simultaneous possession of more than one weapon constituted only one offense); United States v. Frank-enberry, 696 F.2d 239, 244-45 (3d Cir. 1982) (applying Bell to hold that the receipt of multiple firearms comprised only one offense); United States v. Oliver, 683 F.2d 224, 232-33 (7th Cir.1982) (applying Bell to hold that the simultaneous receipt of a firearm and ammunition comprised only one offense).
We remand to the district court to vacate the sentence, merge the counts of conviction into one count, and resentence the defendant based on a single conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).