Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/20-5904_i4dk.pdf
Page Number: 7.0

Cite as:  593 U. S. ____ (2021) 

5 

Opinion of the Court 

by that Act.  The District Court denied his motion, and the 
Eleventh Circuit affirmed, holding that offenders are eligi-
ble for a sentence reduction only if they were convicted of a
crack  offense  that  triggered  a  mandatory  minimum.    828 
Fed. Appx. 563 (2020) (per curiam).  We granted certiorari. 
592 U. S. ___ (2021).

On the day the Government’s brief was due, the United
States informed the Court that, after the change in admin-
istration, it would no longer defend the judgment.  Because 
of  the  timeline,  the  Court  rescheduled  argument,  com-
pressed the briefing schedule, and appointed Adam K. Mor-
tara as amicus curiae to argue in support of the judgment.
He has ably discharged his responsibilities. 

II 

An offender is eligible for a sentence reduction under the 
First Step Act only if he previously received “a sentence for
a covered offense.”  §404(b), 132 Stat. 5222.  The Act defines 
“ ‘covered offense’ ” as “a violation of a Federal criminal stat-
ute, the statutory penalties for which were modified by” cer-
tain  provisions  in  the  Fair  Sentencing  Act.    §404(a),  ibid. 
Here, “statutory penalties” references the entire, integrated
phrase “a violation of a Federal criminal statute.”  United 
States v. Jones, 962 F. 3d 1290, 1298 (CA11 2020).  And that 
phrase means “offense.”  Black’s Law Dictionary 1300 (11th
ed. 2019) (“A violation of the law”).  We thus ask whether 
the Fair Sentencing Act modified the statutory penalties for 
petitioner’s offense.  It did not. 

The elements of petitioner’s offense are presented by two
subsections of 21 U. S. C. §841.  Subsection (a) makes it un-
lawful to knowingly or intentionally possess with intent to
distribute any controlled substance.  Subsection (b) lists ad-
ditional facts that, if proved, trigger penalties. 

Before 2010, §§841(a) and (b) together defined three crack
offenses  relevant  here.  The  elements  of  the  first  offense 
were  (1)  knowing  or  intentional  possession  with  intent  to