Efrain Lora asks Supreme Court to clarify criminal sentencing statutory interpretation matter

Clients Lora, Efrain

On behalf of Efrain Lora, Jones Day urged the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve the confusion surrounding an important criminal sentencing statutory interpretation matter. Mr. Lora was convicted of a federal offense involving the use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime that results in death. He received mandatory consecutive sentences for that and another offense, even though the default rule is that the sentencing judge has discretion whether to run multiple sentences concurrently or consecutively unless a statute clearly removes that discretion. Jones Day argued that the Court should resolve a circuit split over whether the statute under which Lora's sentence was imposed triggers a bar on concurrent sentences found in a different provision that sets forth some of the underlying elements for which Lora was convicted.

Lora v. United States, No. 22-49 (U.S.)