Montgomery, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has commended the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Brown v. United States, which rejected an argument by a repeat offender under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). The offender claimed that changes in the federal definition of cocaine should allow him to avoid full responsibility for his cocaine-related convictions. The Supreme Court’s decision aligns with the position put forth in an Alabama-led amicus brief submitted in July 2022.
Attorney General Marshall emphasized the importance of this decision in maintaining the rule of law and combating crime. “We have recently seen the devastating effects of pro-crime policies ripple throughout this country. But the Supreme Court moved to restore the rule of law by issuing a strong decision that prevents minor changes to federal regulations from allowing repeat criminals to dodge justice,” he stated. “The ACCA has been an important tool in protecting citizens from illicit drugs and violent crime, and that will remain true thanks to this decision.”
The ACCA mandates enhanced sentences for federal gun crimes if the offender has at least three prior convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses. In 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled that Eugene Jackson’s convictions for possession and distribution of cocaine did not qualify as “serious drug offenses” due to a slight modification in the federal definition of cocaine that occurred more than a decade after his convictions. Attorney General Marshall argued against this interpretation, stating it “makes little sense” to disregard crimes that were clearly serious drug offenses under state law at the time they were committed simply because of a later change in federal definitions.
In an unusual move, the Eleventh Circuit reconsidered the case and sided with Attorney General Marshall’s argument. The Supreme Court has now upheld this view, affirming Jackson’s sentence.
Alabama’s brief in the Eleventh Circuit was supported by Florida and Georgia, highlighting regional consensus on the issue. This decision reinforces the ACCA’s role in addressing serious drug offenses and maintaining public safety.
