Smith v. United States

Calvin Smith was charged under 18 U.S.C. §924(c) for using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He traded a gun to an undercover officer in exchange for cocaine. The government argued that bartering the firearm constituted "use" of the gun. The Supreme Court heard argument on January 9, 2013, and later held that merely trading a firearm for drugs did not amount to "use" of the firearm under the statute. The decision clarified that the statute requires active employment of the weapon as a weapon, not as an item of exchange.

The Supreme Court reversed the conviction in a unanimous decision, holding that bartering a gun for drugs does not constitute "use" of a firearm under the statute.

Whether trading a firearm as payment for drugs constitutes "use" of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime under 18 U.S.C. §924(c).

The ruling narrowed the reach of federal mandatory minimum sentences for firearm use in drug crimes. It clarified that the statute requires actual employment of the weapon as a weapon rather than as an item of exchange, providing clearer boundaries for defendants, prosecutors, and lower courts.