Burrage v. United States
Burrage v. United States, 571 U.S. 204 (2014), was a United States Supreme Court case in which a unanimous Court held that a defendant cannot be liable for penalty enhancement under the penalty enhancement provision of the Controlled Substances Act unless such use is a but-for cause of the death or injury, at least when the use of a drug distributed by the defendant is not an independently sufficient cause of the victim's death or serious bodily injury.
| Burrage v. United States | |
|---|---|
Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Argued November 12, 2013 Decided January 27, 2014 | |
| Full case name | Marcus Andrew Burrage, Petitioner v. United States |
| Docket no. | 12-7515 |
| Citations | 571 U.S. 204 (more) 134 S. Ct. 881; 187 L. Ed. 2d 715; 2014 U.S. LEXIS 797; 82 U.S.L.W. 4076 |
| Argument | Oral argument |
| Case history | |
| Prior | 687 F.3d 1015 (reversed and remanded) |
| Holding | |
| At least when the use of a drug distributed by the defendant is not an independently sufficient cause of the victim's death or serious bodily injury, a defendant cannot be liable for penalty enhancement under the penalty enhancement provision of the Controlled Substance Act unless such use is a but-for cause of the death or injury. Eighth Circuit reversed and remanded. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Scalia, joined by Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas, Breyer, Kagan; Alito (all but Part III–B) |
| Concurrence | Ginsburg (in judgment), joined by Sotomayor |
| Laws applied | |
| Controlled Substances Act | |
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