Dean v. United States (2009)

For the case that I researched, Dean v. United States shows the importance of our law's interpretation. The case, which revolved around controversy surrounding the punishment towards the accidental firing of a gun, had to be resolved by the Supreme Court and even then it was not an unanimous decision. The perpetrator, Cristopher Dean robbed a bank, however, during the robbery his firearm accidentally fired. While the bullet did not hurt anyone, Dean was later convicted not only for the bank robbery but also for the discharge of his weapon which would enhance his sentencing in prison by another 10 years. Due to this unique case there have been varied opinions on what the right response would be. The many differences in opinion existed due to various interpretations of a discharge of a firearm in such a specific situation. Those that voted in favor of an enhanced sentence argued that while the gun went off acidentally, it was a consequence that the criminal should have been aware of that could have happened and therefore should be responsible for it. On the other hand, others argue that it caused no harm and that it creates too harsh of a punishment for the actual crime committed and that it doesn't uphold the justice system's main goal of applying fair justice to all. Furthermore, this case has set a standard for how the justice system functions, which focuses on trying to maintain previous sentences on past cases and to prevent more crimes from occuring. Similar as to when a drug trafficking crime is committed within the vicinity of a school, there now is a sentance enhancement for a discharge of a firearm during or related to a crime, whether it was accidental or not.