Terry v. United States
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Terry v. United States and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Terry v. United States.
In Terry v. United States, the petitioner sought a sentence reduction for a 2008 crack cocaine conviction under the First Step Act. The Supreme Court determined that the petitioner was not eligible for a reduction because his offense did not trigger a mandatory minimum sentence modified by the Fair Sentencing Act. The Court affirmed the Eleventh Circuit's decision.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Terry v. United States.
The Court held that a crack offender is eligible for a sentence reduction under the First Step Act only if convicted of a crack offense that triggered a mandatory minimum sentence.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Terry v. United States. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
-
Why Ex Post Facto is relevant to Terry v. United States
The case involves the retroactive application of sentencing laws, specifically whether changes in sentencing laws apply to offenses committed before the laws were enacted.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)But Congress did not make this change retroactive until 2018, when it enacted the First Step Act.
-
Why Procedural Due Process is relevant to Terry v. United States
The case involves the procedural aspect of whether the petitioner is eligible for a sentence reduction under the First Step Act, which implicates procedural due process considerations.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The First Step Act makes an offender eligible for a sentence reduction only if the offender previously received 'a sentence for a covered offense.'
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Terry v. United States that support the summary and concepts above.
The First Step Act makes an offender eligible for a sentence reduction only if the offender previously received 'a sentence for a covered offense.'
The Fair Sentencing Act did not modify the statutory penalties for petitioner's offense.
Petitioner thus is not eligible for a sentence reduction.
