Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 129

529US1

Unit: $U33

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UNITED STATES v. JOHNSON

Opinion of the Court

vised release fulﬁlls rehabilitative ends, distinct from those served by
incarceration. The Court also observes that the statutory structure
provides a means to address the equitable concerns that exist when an
individual is incarcerated beyond the proper expiration of his prison
term. The trial court, as it sees ﬁt, may modify the individual’s super-
vised release conditions, § 3583(e)(2), or it may terminate his supervised
release obligations after one year of completed service, § 3583(e)(1).
Pp. 56–60.

154 F. 3d 569, reversed and remanded.

Kennedy, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.

Barbara McDowell argued the cause for the United
States. With her on the briefs were Solicitor General
Waxman, Assistant Attorney General Robinson, Deputy
Solicitor General Dreeben, and Richard A. Friedman.

Kevin M. Schad argued the cause and ﬁled a brief for

respondent.*

Justice Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court.
An offender had been serving time in federal prison for
multiple felonies when two of his convictions were de-
clared invalid. As a result, he had served too much prison
time and was at once set free, but a term of supervised re-
lease was yet to be served on the remaining convictions.
The question becomes whether the excess prison time should
be credited to the supervised release term, reducing its
length. Bound by the text of the controlling statute, 18
U. S. C. § 3624(e), we hold that the supervised release term
remains unaltered.

Respondent Roy Lee Johnson was convicted in 1990 on
two counts of possession with an intent to distribute con-
trolled substances, 84 Stat. 1260, 21 U. S. C. § 841(a), on
two counts of use of a ﬁrearm in connection with a drug
trafﬁcking crime, 18 U. S. C. § 924(c) (1994 ed. and Supp. IV),

*Edward M. Chikofsky, Barbara E. Bergman, and Henry J. Bemporad
ﬁled a brief for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
et al. as amici curiae urging afﬁrmance.