Mandatory minimum

Definition

A legally required minimum prison sentence that a judge must impose upon conviction, regardless of other circumstances. Section 924(c) currently carries a mandatory minimum of five years for simple gun possession during a crime of violence, while § 924(j) has no mandatory minimum.

Examples

• •The amicus argues that petitioner's interpretation creates an anomaly where committing murder allows a defendant to avoid the five-year mandatory minimum under § 924(c) by being sentenced only under § 924(j), which has no minimum.

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