21 USC Sec. 848
01/26/98
TITLE 21 - FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER 13 - DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
SUBCHAPTER I - CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT
Part D - Offenses and Penalties
HEADING
Sec. 848. Continuing criminal enterprise
STATUTE
(a) Penalties; forfeitures
Any person who engages in a continuing criminal enterprise shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 20 years and which may be up to life imprisonment, to a fine not to exceed the greater of that authorized in accordance with the provisions of Title 18, or $2,000,000 if the defendant is an individual or $5,000,000 if the defendant is other than an individual, and to the forfeiture prescribed in section 853 of this title; except that if any person engages in such activity after one or more prior convictions of him under this section have become final, he shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 30 years and which may be up to life imprisonment, to a fine not to exceed the greater of twice the amount authorized in accordance with the provisions of Title 18, or $4,000,000 if the defendant is an individual or $10,000,000 if the defendant is other than an individual, and to the forfeiture prescribed in section 853 of this title.
(b) Life imprisonment for engaging in continuing criminal enterprise
Any person who engages in a continuing criminal enterprise shall be imprisoned for life and fined in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, if--
(1) such person is the principal administrator, organizer, or leader of the enterprise or is one of several such principal administrators, organizers, or leaders; and
(2)(A) the violation referred to in subsection (c)(1) of this section involved at least 300 times the quantity of a substance described in subsection 841(b)(1)(B) of this title, or
(B) the enterprise, or any other enterprise in which the defendant was the principal or one of several principal administrators, organizers, or leaders, received $10 million dollars in gross receipts during any twelve-month period of its existence for the manufacture, importation, or distribution of a substance described in section 841(b)(1)(B) of this title.
(c) "Continuing criminal enterprise" defined
For purposes of subsection (a) of this section, a person is engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise if--
(1) he violates any provision of this subchapter or subchapter II of this chapter the punishment for which is a felony, and
(2) such violation is a part of a continuing series of violations of this subchapter or subchapter II of this chapter--
(A) which are undertaken by such person in concert with five or more other persons with respect to whom such person occupies a position of organizer, a supervisory position, or any other position of management, and
(B) from which such person obtains substantial income or resources.
(d) Suspension of sentence and probation prohibited
In the case of any sentence imposed under this section, imposition or execution of such sentence shall not be suspended, probation shall not be granted, and the Act of July 15, 1932 (D.C.Code, secs. 24-203 to 24-207), shall not apply.
(1) In addition to the other penalties set forth in this section--
(A) any person engaging in or working in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, or any person engaging in an offense punishable under section 841(b)(1)(A) of this title or section 960(b)(1) of this title who intentionally kills or counsels, commands, induces, procures, or causes the intentional killing of an individual and such killing results, shall be sentenced to any term of imprisonment, which shall not be less than 20 years, and which may be up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death; and
(B) any person, during the commission of, in furtherance of, or while attempting to avoid apprehension, prosecution or service of a prison sentence for, a felony violation of this subchapter or subchapter II of this chapter who intentionally kills or counsels, commands, induces, procures, or causes the intentional killing of any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer engaged in, or on account of, the performance of such officer's official duties and such killing results, shall be sentenced to any term of imprisonment, which shall not be less than 20 years, and which may be up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death.
(2) As used in paragraph (1)(B), the term "law enforcement officer" means a public servant authorized by law or by a Government agency or Congress to conduct or engage in the prevention, investigation, prosecution or adjudication of an offense, and includes those engaged in corrections, probation, or parole functions.
(g) [FN1] to (p) Repealed. Pub.L. 109-177, Title II, § 221(2), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 231
(q) Repealed. Pub.L. 109-177, Title II, §§ 221(4), 222(c), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 231, 232
(r) Repealed. Pub.L. 109-177, Title II, § 221(3), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 231
(s) Special provision for methamphetamine
For the purposes of subsection (b), in the case of continuing criminal enterprise involving methamphetamine or its salts, isomers, or salts of isomers, paragraph (2)(A) shall be applied by substituting "200" for "300", and paragraph (2)(B) shall be applied by substituting "$5,000,000" for "$10 million dollars".
(Pub.L. 91-513, Title II, § 408, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1265; Pub.L. 98-473, Title II, §§ 224(b), 305, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2030, 2050; Pub.L. 98-473, § 224(b), formerly § 224(c), as amended Pub.L. 99-570, Title I, § 1005(b)(2), Oct. 27, 1987, 100 Stat. 3207-6; Pub.L. 99-570, Title I, §§ 1252, 1253, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207-14, 3207-15; Pub.L. 100-690, Titles VI, VII, §§ 6481, 7001, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4382, 4387; Pub.L. 103-322, Title XXXIII, §§ 330003(e), 330009(d), 330014, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2141, 2143, 2146; Pub.L. 104-132, Title I, § 108, Title IX, § 903(b), Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat. 1226, 1318; Pub.L. 109-177, Title II, §§ 221, 222(c), Title VII, § 733, Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 231, 232, 270.)
[FN1] So in original. Section does not contain a subsec. (f). See Codifications note under this section.
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Revision Notes and Legislative Reports
1970 Acts. House Report No. 91-1444 and Conference Report No. 91-1603, see 1970 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 4566.
1984 Acts. House Report No. 98-1030 and House Conference Report No. 98- 1159, see 1984 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 3182.
1986 Acts. Statement by President, see 1986 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 5393.
1988 Acts. For Related Reports, see 1988 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 5937.
1994 Acts. House Report Nos. 103-324 and 103-489, and House Conference Report No. 103-711, see 1994 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 1801.
1996 Acts. Senate Report No. 104-179 and House Conference Report No. 104- 518, see 1996 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 924.
2006 Acts. House Conference Report No. 109-333, see 2006 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 184.
Statement by President, see 2006 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. S7.
References in Text
"This subchapter", referred to in subsecs. (c) and (e)(1)(B), was in the original "this title", which is Title II of Pub.L. 91-513, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1242, as amended, popularly known as the "Controlled Substances Act". For complete classification of such Title II to the Code, see Short Title note set out under 21 U.S.C.A. § 801 and Tables.
"Subchapter II of this chapter", referred to in subsecs. (c) and (e)(1)(B), was in the original "title III", meaning Title III of Pub.L. 91-513, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1285. Part A of Title III comprises subchapter II of this chapter. For classification of Part B, consisting of sections 1101 to 1105 of Title III, see Tables.
Act of July 15, 1932 (D.C. Code, secs. 24-203--24-207), referred to in subsec. (d), is act July 15, 1932, ch. 492, 47 Stat. 696, as amended, which appears in sections 24-203 to 24-209 of Title 24, Prisoners and Their Treatment, and section 22-2601 of Title 22, Criminal Offenses, of the District of Columbia Code.
Directory language of section 7001(a)(1) of Pub.L. 100-690, calling for the redesignation of subsec. (e) of this section as (f), was incapable of execution since, after the earlier redesignation of subsec. (e) as (d) by section 6481(b) of Pub.L. 100-690, no subsection (e) remained to be redesignated.
Amendments
2006 Amendments. Subsec. (e)(2). Pub.L. 109-177, § 221(1), struck out "(1) (b)" and inserted "(1)(B)".
Subsecs. (g) to (p). Pub.L. 109-177, § 221(2), struck out subsecs. (g) through (p), which formerly read:
"(g) Hearing required with respect to the death penalty
"A person shall be subjected to the penalty of death for any offense under this section only if a hearing is held in accordance with this section.
"(h) Notice by the Government in death penalty cases
"(1) Whenever the Government intends to seek the death penalty for an offense under this section for which one of the sentences provided is death, the attorney for the Government, a reasonable time before trial or acceptance by the court of a plea of guilty, shall sign and file with the court, and serve upon the defendant, a notice--
"(A) that the Government in the event of conviction will seek the sentence of death; and
"(B) setting forth the aggravating factors enumerated in subsection (n) of this section and any other aggravating factors which the Government will seek to prove as the basis for the death penalty.
"(2) The court may permit the attorney for the Government to amend this notice for good cause shown.
"(i) Hearing before court or jury
"(1) When the attorney for the Government has filed a notice as required under subsection (h) of this section and the defendant is found guilty of or pleads guilty to an offense under subsection (e) of this section, the judge who presided at the trial or before whom the guilty plea was entered, or any other judge if the judge who presided at the trial or before whom the guilty plea was entered is unavailable, shall conduct a separate sentencing hearing to determine the punishment to be imposed. The hearing shall be conducted--
"(A) before the jury which determined the defendant's guilt;
"(B) before a jury impaneled for the purpose of the hearing if--
"(i) the defendant was convicted upon a plea of guilty;
"(ii) the defendant was convicted after a trial before the court sitting without a jury;
"(iii) the jury which determined the defendant's guilt has been discharged for good cause; or
"(iv) after initial imposition of a sentence under this section, redetermination of the sentence under this section is necessary; or
"(C) before the court alone, upon the motion of the defendant and with the approval of the Government.
"(2) A jury impaneled under paragraph (1)(B) shall consist of 12 members, unless, at any time before the conclusion of the hearing, the parties stipulate with the approval of the court that it shall consist of any number less than 12.
"(j) Proof of aggravating and mitigating factors
"Notwithstanding rule 32(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, when a defendant is found guilty of or pleads guilty to an offense under subsection (e) of this section, no presentence report shall be prepared. In the sentencing hearing, information may be presented as to matters relating to any of the aggravating or mitigating factors set forth in subsections (m) and (n) of this section, or any other mitigating factor or any other aggravating factor for which notice has been provided under subsection (h)(1)(B) of this section. Where information is presented relating to any of the aggravating factors set forth in subsection (n) of this section, information may be presented relating to any other aggravating factor for which notice has been provided under subsection (h)(1)(B) of this section. Information presented may include the trial transcript and exhibits if the hearing is held before a jury or judge not present during the trial, or at the trial judge's discretion. Any other information relevant to such mitigating or aggravating factors may be presented by either the Government or the defendant, regardless of its admissibility under the rules governing admission of evidence at criminal trials, except that information may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury. The Government and the defendant shall be permitted to rebut any information received at the hearing and shall be given fair opportunity to present argument as to the adequacy of the information to establish the existence of any of the aggravating or mitigating factors and as to appropriateness in that case of imposing a sentence of death. The Government shall open the argument. The defendant shall be permitted to reply. The Government shall then be permitted to reply in rebuttal. The burden of establishing the existence of any aggravating factor is on the Government, and is not satisfied unless established beyond a reasonable doubt. The burden of establishing the existence of any mitigating factor is on the defendant, and is not satisfied unless established by a preponderance of the evidence.
"(k) Return of findings
"The jury, or if there is no jury, the court, shall consider all the information received during the hearing. It shall return special findings identifying any aggravating factors set forth in subsection (n) of this section, found to exist. If one of the aggravating factors set forth in subsection (n)(1) of this section and another of the aggravating factors set forth in paragraphs (2) through (12) of subsection (n) of this section is found to exist, a special finding identifying any other aggravating factor for which notice has been provided under subsection (h)(1)(B) of this section, may be returned. A finding with respect to a mitigating factor may be made by one or more of the members of the jury, and any member of the jury who finds the existence of a mitigating factor may consider such a factor established for purposes of this subsection, regardless of the number of jurors who concur that the factor has been established. A finding with respect to any aggravating factor must be unanimous. If an aggravating factor set forth in subsection (n)(1) of this section is not found to exist or an aggravating factor set forth in subsection (n)(1) of this section is found to exist but no other aggravating factor set forth in subsection (n) of this section is found to exist, the court shall impose a sentence, other than death, authorized by law. If an aggravating factor set forth in subsection (n)(1) of this section and one or more of the other aggravating factors set forth in subsection (n) of this section are found to exist, the jury, or if there is no jury, the court, shall then consider whether the aggravating factors found to exist sufficiently outweigh any mitigating factor or factors found to exist, or in the absence of mitigating factors, whether the aggravating factors are themselves sufficient to justify a sentence of death. Based upon this consideration, the jury by unanimous vote, or if there is no jury, the court, shall recommend that a sentence of death shall be imposed rather than a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of release or some other lesser sentence. The jury or the court, regardless of its findings with respect to aggravating and mitigating factors, is never required to impose a death sentence and the jury shall be so instructed.
"(l) Imposition of sentence
"Upon the recommendation that the sentence of death be imposed, the court shall sentence the defendant to death. Otherwise the court shall impose a sentence, other than death, authorized by law. A sentence of death shall not be carried out upon a person who is under 18 years of age at the time the crime was committed. A sentence of death shall not be carried out upon a person who is mentally retarded. A sentence of death shall not be carried out upon a person who, as a result of mental disability--
"(1) cannot understand the nature of the pending proceedings, what such person was tried for, the reason for the punishment, or the nature of the punishment; or
"(2) lacks the capacity to recognize or understand facts which would make the punishment unjust or unlawful, or lacks the ability to convey such information to counsel or to the court.
"In determining whether a sentence of death is to be imposed on a defendant, the finder of fact shall consider mitigating factors, including the following:
"(1) The defendant's capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of the defendant's conduct or to conform conduct to the requirements of law was significantly impaired, regardless of whether the capacity was so impaired as to constitute a defense to the charge.
"(2) The defendant was under unusual and substantial duress, regardless of whether the duress was of such a degree as to constitute a defense to the charge.
"(3) The defendant is punishable as a principal (as defined in section 2 of Title 18) in the offense, which was committed by another, but the defendant's participation was relatively minor, regardless of whether the participation was so minor as to constitute a defense to the charge.
"(4) The defendant could not reasonably have foreseen that the defendant's conduct in the course of the commission of murder, or other offense resulting in death for which the defendant was convicted, would cause, or would create a grave risk of causing, death to any person.
"(5) The defendant was youthful, although not under the age of 18.
"(6) The defendant did not have a significant prior criminal record.
"(7) The defendant committed the offense under severe mental or emotional disturbance.
"(8) Another defendant or defendants, equally culpable in the crime, will not be punished by death.
"(9) The victim consented to the criminal conduct that resulted in the victim's death.
"(10) That other factors in the defendant's background or character mitigate against imposition of the death sentence.
"(n) Aggravating factors for homicide
"If the defendant is found guilty of or pleads guilty to an offense under subsection (e) of this section, the following aggravating factors are the only aggravating factors that shall be considered, unless notice of additional aggravating factors is provided under subsection (h)(1)(B) of this section:
"(1) The defendant--
"(A) intentionally killed the victim;
"(B) intentionally inflicted serious bodily injury which resulted in the death of the victim;
"(C) intentionally engaged in conduct intending that the victim be killed or that lethal force be employed against the victim, which resulted in the death of the victim;
"(D) intentionally engaged in conduct which--
"(i) the defendant knew would create a grave risk of death to a person, other than one of the participants in the offense; and
"(ii) resulted in the death of the victim.
"(2) The defendant has been convicted of another Federal offense, or a State offense resulting in the death of a person, for which a sentence of life imprisonment or a sentence of death was authorized by statute.
"(3) The defendant has previously been convicted of two or more State or Federal offenses punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year, committed on different occasions, involving the infliction of, or attempted infliction of, serious bodily injury upon another person.
"(4) The defendant has previously been convicted of two or more State or Federal offenses punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year, committed on different occasions, involving the distribution of a controlled substance.
"(5) In the commission of the offense or in escaping apprehension for a violation of subsection (e) of this section, the defendant knowingly created a grave risk of death to one or more persons in addition to the victims of the offense.
"(6) The defendant procured the commission of the offense by payment, or promise of payment, of anything of pecuniary value.
"(7) The defendant committed the offense as consideration for the receipt, or in the expectation of the receipt, of anything of pecuniary value.
"(8) The defendant committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation.
"(9) The victim was particularly vulnerable due to old age, youth, or infirmity.
"(10) The defendant had previously been convicted of violating this subchapter or subchapter II of this chapter for which a sentence of five or more years may be imposed or had previously been convicted of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.
"(11) The violation of this subchapter in relation to which the conduct described in subsection (e) of this section occurred was a violation of section 859 of this title.
"(12) The defendant committed the offense in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner in that it involved torture or serious physical abuse to the victim.
"(o) Right of defendant to justice without discrimination
"(1) In any hearing held before a jury under this section, the court shall instruct the jury that in its consideration of whether the sentence of death is justified it shall not consider the race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, or sex of the defendant or the victim, and that the jury is not to recommend a sentence of death unless it has concluded that it would recommend a sentence of death for the crime in question no matter what the race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, or sex of the defendant, or the victim, may be. The jury shall return to the court a certificate signed by each juror that consideration of the race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, or sex of the defendant or the victim was not involved in reaching his or her individual decision, and that the individual juror would have made the same recommendation regarding a sentence for the crime in question no matter what the race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, or sex of the defendant, or the victim, may be.
"(2) Not later than one year from November 18, 1988, the Comptroller General shall conduct a study of the various procedures used by the several States for determining whether or not to impose the death penalty in particular cases, and shall report to the Congress on whether or not any or all of the various procedures create a significant risk that the race of a defendant, or the race of a victim against whom a crime was committed, influence the likelihood that defendants in those States will be sentenced to death. In conducting the study required by this paragraph, the General Accounting Office shall--
"(A) use ordinary methods of statistical analysis, including methods comparable to those ruled admissible by the courts in race discrimination cases under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e et seq.];
"(B) study only crimes occurring after January 1, 1976; and
"(C) determine what, if any, other factors, including any relation between any aggravating or mitigating factors and the race of the victim or the defendant, may account for any evidence that the race of the defendant, or the race of the victim, influences the likelihood that defendants will be sentenced to death. In addition, the General Accounting Office shall examine separately and include in the report, death penalty cases involving crimes similar to those covered under this section.
"(p) Sentencing in capital cases in which death penalty is not sought or imposed
"If a person is convicted for an offense under subsection (e) of this section and the court does not impose the penalty of death, the court may impose a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole."
Subsec. (q)(1) to (3). Pub.L. 109-177, § 221(4), struck out subsec. (q)(1) to (3), which formerly read: