Dean v. United States

Dean v. United States
Argued March 4, 2009
Decided April 29, 2009
Full case nameChristopher Michael Dean, Petitioner v. United States
Docket no.08-5274
Citations556 U.S. 568 (more)
129 S. Ct. 1849; 173 L. Ed. 2d 785
Case history
PriorUnited States v. Dean, 517 F.3d 1224 (11th Cir. 2008)
Questions presented
Whether a law providing for a mandatory 10-year prison term for the discharge of a firearm during a violent or drug trafficking crime applied if the firearm discharged accidentally.
Holding
The 10-year mandatory minimum applies if a gun is discharged in the course of a violent or drug trafficking crime, whether on purpose or by accident.
Court membership
Chief Justice
John Roberts
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Antonin Scalia
Anthony Kennedy · David Souter
Clarence Thomas · Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Stephen Breyer · Samuel Alito
Case opinions
MajorityRoberts, joined by Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsburg, Alito
DissentStevens
DissentBreyer
Laws applied
18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A)(iii)

Dean v. United States, 556 U.S. 568 (2009), was a decision by the United States Supreme Court upholding a 10-year penalty for the discharge of a firearm during the commission of any violent or drug trafficking crime, against a bank robber whose gun went off accidentally.