Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/20-1459_n7ip.pdf
Page Number: 34.0

Cite as:  596 U. S. ____ (2022) 

3 

ALITO, J., dissenting 

established meaning of an “element” is clear: It is a “ ‘con-
stituent par[t]’ of a crime’s legal definition—[a] thin[g] the
‘prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt to sus-
tain a conviction.’ ” Mathis v. United States, 579 U. S. 500, 
504  (2016)  (quoting  Black’s  Law  Dictionary  634  (10th  ed. 
2014)).  See also, e.g., Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U. S. 466, 
477  (2000);  United  States  v.  Gaudin,  515  U. S.  506,  510 
(1995).

It is also established that there are two different types of
elements.  Some are invariant; that is, they must be proved
in  every  case.    But  it  is  not  uncommon  for  statutes  to  in-
clude a set of alternative elements and to provide that one, 
but not all, of these alternative elements must be proved to
secure  a  conviction.  As  the  Court  said  in  Descamps  v. 
United States, 570 U. S. 254 (2013), a statute may “se[t] out 
one or more elements of the offense in the alternative—for 
example,  [by]  stating  that  burglary  involves  entry  into  a
building or an automobile.” Id., at 257 (emphasis in origi-
nal).

The Hobbs Act includes both types of elements.  It crimi-
nalizes a robbery that “obstructs, delays, or affects” inter-
state  commerce,  18  U. S. C.  §1951(a),  and  it  defines  “rob-
bery” to mean “the unlawful taking or obtaining of personal 
property from the person . . . of another, against his will, by
means of actual or threatened force, or violence, or fear of 
injury, immediate or future,” §1951(b)(1).  Accordingly, the
elements of Hobbs Act robbery are (1) the unlawful taking
or obtaining (2) of personal property (3) from the person of 
another (4) against his or her will (5) by means of actual or 
(6) by means of threatened force, or (7) by means of violence, 
or  (8)  by  means  of  fear  of  injury.    The  first  four  elements 
must be proved in every case, while the last four are alter-
native  elements  any  one  of  which  is  sufficient  for  convic-
tion.2  A completed Hobbs Act robbery satisfies §924(c)(3)(A) 

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2 There  is  no  plausible  argument  that  actual  force,  threatened  force,