simpson argued november decided february punishment bank robbery may enhanced robbery committed use dangerous weapon device title provides whoever uses firearm commit felony may prosecuted shall subject penalty addition punishment provided commission felony petitioners convicted two separate aggravated bank robberies using firearms commit robberies violation sentenced consecutive terms imprisonment robbery firearms counts district rejecting contention imposition cumulative penalties two crimes impermissible charges merged firearms offenses purposes sentencing appeals affirmed held prosecution growing single transaction bank robbery firearms defendant may sentenced construction provisions supported legislative history also established rules statutory construction ambiguity concerning ambit criminal statutes resolved favor lenity bass rewis precedence given terms specific statute general statute specific statute speak concern even general provision enacted later pp reversed remanded together simpson also certiorari brennan delivered opinion burger stewart white marshall blackmun powell stevens joined rehnquist filed dissenting opinion post robert willmott appointment argued cause filed brief petitioners cases bartow farr iii argued cause cases brief acting solicitor general friedman assistant attorney general civiletti john klein justice brennan delivered opinion punishment bank robbery fine imprisonment years may enhanced fine imprisonment years robbery committed use dangerous weapon device another statute provides whoever uses firearm commit felony may prosecuted shall addition punishment provided commission felony sentenced term imprisonment less one year ten years case second subsequent conviction subsection imprisonment less years shall term imprisonment imposed subsection run concurrently term imprisonment imposed commission felony petitioners convicted two separate bank robberies committed firearms question decision whether construed intended congress authorize case bank robbery committed firearms imposition increased penalty also imposition additional consecutive penalty september petitioners using handguns intimidate bank employees robbed east end branch commercial bank middlesboro app less two months later november petitioners returned middlesboro time using handguns robbed west end branch commercial bank amount petitioners received separate jury trial robbery trial first robbery convicted aggravated bank robbery violation using firearms commit robbery violation sentenced consecutive terms years imprisonment robbery count years imprisonment firearms count trial second robbery petitioners convicted one count aggravated bank robbery violation one count using firearms commit crime violation received sentence robbery sentence firearms count sentences run consecutively sentences previously imposed sentencing proceedings following conviction counsel petitioners argued imposition cumulative penalties two crimes impermissible charge merged firearms offense purposes sentencing district disagreed holding statutes legislative history indicat intention impose additional punishment app appeals sixth circuit affirmed without published opinion granted certiorari resolve apparent conflict decision decision appeals eighth circuit eagle reverse ii quite clearly addressed concern designed combat problem use dangerous weapons particularly firearms commit federal felonies although agree appeals creates offense distinct underlying federal felony ramirez sudduth believe beginning end analysis necessary answer question presented decision blockburger set test determining whether two offenses sufficiently distinguishable permit imposition cumulative punishment brown ohio held applicable rule act transaction constitutes violation two distinct statutory provisions test applied determine whether two offenses one whether provision requires proof fact blockburger supra see also brown ohio supra ianelli gore blockburger test primary relevance double jeopardy context guide determining two separately defined crimes constitute offense double jeopardy purposes brown ohio supra cases government able prove violations two separate criminal statutes precisely factual showing raise prospect double jeopardy possible need evaluate statutes light blockburger test test government argues satisfied litigation need reach issue examination made determine whether cumulative punishments two offenses constitutionally permissible necessary following practice avoiding constitutional decisions possible determine whether congress intended subject defendant multiple penalties single criminal transaction engaged jeffers indeed government concedes remains least possibility congress although constitutionally free impose additional penalties violation case like present one otherwise disclosed intention brief believe several tools statutory construction applied statutes case like present one government relied proofs support convictions statutes require conclusion congress said authorized imposition additional penalty commission bank robbery firearms already subject enhanced punishment cf gore supra iii first legislative history provision enacted part gun control act included original gun control bill offered amendment house floor representative poff cong rec statement immediately following introduction amendment representative poff observed sake legislative history noted substitute intended apply title sections already define penalties use firearm assaulting officials sections concerning armed robberies mail banks section concerning armed assaults upon process servers chapter defines firearm felonies second construe statute allow additional sentence authorized pyramided upon sentence already enhanced violate established rule construction ambiguity concerning ambit criminal statutes resolved favor lenity bass rewis see adamo wrecking legislative history course sparse yet particularly representative poff statement committee rejection dominick amendment points direction congressional view section intended unavailable prosecutions violations even relevant legislative history nearly favorable defendant steadfastly insisted doubt resolved turning single transaction multiple offenses bell ladner see prince said ladner policy lenity means interpret federal criminal statute increase penalty places individual interpretation based guess congress intended something guess case something representative poff commentary conference committee rejection dominick amendment incremental knowledge redounds petitioners benefit government finally result supported principle gives precedence terms specific statute general statute specific statute speak concern even general provision enacted later see preiser rodriguez cf sands sutherland statutory construction ed guide statutory construction special cogency called upon determine extent punishment criminal defendant subject transgressions context principle corollary rule lenity outgrowth reluctance increase multiply punishments absent clear definite legislative directive indeed one time government insensitive concerns respecting availability additional penalty department justice found interpretive preference specific criminal statutes general criminal statutes sufficient reason advise attorneys prosecute defendant substantive statute defendant charged violating already provid ed increased penalties firearm used commission offense attys bull dept justice obviously government since changed view relationship think original view better view congressional understanding proper interaction two statutes accordingly hold prosecution growing single transaction bank robbery firearms defendant may sentenced cases therefore reversed remanded appeals proceedings consistent opinion ordered footnotes title provide whoever force violence intimidation takes attempts take person presence another property money thing value belonging care custody control management possession bank credit union savings loan association whoever enters attempts enter bank credit union savings loan association building used whole part bank credit union savings loan association intent commit bank credit union savings loan association building part thereof used felony affecting bank credit union savings loan association violation statute larceny shall fined imprisoned twenty years whoever committing attempting commit offense defined subsections section assaults person puts jeopardy life person use dangerous weapon device shall fined imprisoned years complete text provides whoever uses firearm commit felony may prosecuted carries firearm unlawfully commission felony may prosecuted shall addition punishment provided commission felony sentenced term imprisonment less one year ten years case second subsequent conviction subsection person shall sentenced term imprisonment less two years notwithstanding provision law shall suspend sentence case second subsequent conviction person give probationary sentence shall term imprisonment imposed subsection run concurrently term imprisonment imposed commission felony agreement appeals sixth circuit cases appeals fourth circuit crew appeals fifth circuit perkins senate house reports bank robbery act first made bank robbery federal offense included provisions state legislation directed rash gangsterism roving bandits southwest northwest rob banks elude capture state authorities crossing state lines vast majority bank robberies undoubtedly accomplished use guns various sorts indeed originally proposed provision became covered use dangerous weapons device language added response concern expressed house floor provision reach conduct bank robber walked bank bottle nitroglycerin threatened blow unless demands met cong rec thus although undoubtedly covers bank robberies weapons devices firearms use guns commit bank robbery primary evil designed deter hand although overriding purpose combat increasing use guns commit federal felonies ambit provision broader section imposes increased penalties firearm used commit unlawfully carried commission federal felony title defines firearm include destructive device destructive device turn defined include explosive incendiary poison gas bomb ii grenade iii rocket iv missile mine vi device similar devices described preceding clauses see melville supp sdny double jeopardy clause protects multiple punishments offense north carolina pearce prohibits multiple prosecutions offense jeffers attempt demonstrate distinct separately punishable offenses blockburger test government apparently reads phrase use dangerous weapon device modify word assaults well phrase puts jeopardy life person brief lower courts divided issue opinion read government reads include crew supra see perkins supra waters courts read provision disjunctively hold phrase use dangerous weapon device modifies phrase puts jeopardy life person word assaults beasley rizzo see coulter although never authoritatively construed implicitly given gloss government prince expressly adopt reading statute judge mccree observed beasley language clearly requires commission something elements offense described subsection punishes attempt take person presence another thing value custody bank taking done force violence intimidation force violence traditional language assault something assault must present authorize additional five year penalty order give lawful meaning congress enactment aggravating elements phrase use dangerous weapon device must read regardless punctuation modifying assault provision putting jeopardy provision concurring part dissenting part provision passed day introduced house floor subject legislative hearings committee reports title provide increased maximum penalty deadly dangerous weapon used commit substantive offense title enhance punishment available commission substantive offense defendant employs dangerous weapon prohibitions suspended sentences probation made applicable second subsequent convictions restrictions concurrent sentences eliminated title ii omnibus crime control act stat amended reimposing restriction sentence section served concurrently term imposed underlying felony amendment also reduced minimum mandatory sentence imprisonment repeat offenders five two years justice rehnquist dissenting unable agree conclusion litigation petitioners upon convicted sentenced armed robbery sentence enhanced pursuant provisions provides defendant uses firearm commission felony shall addition punishment provided commission felony sentenced term imprisonment less one year ten years plain language statutes involved certainly confers sentencing authority upon district chooses avoid plain meaning resort canon construction one disagrees practice avoiding constitutional decisions possible ante relies statement made floor house representatives congressman poff sponsored amendment became part gun control act effect amendment apply offenses governed neither proffered rationales justifies decision today canon construction purports follow like canons guide enable perform function said shapiro canon avoidance constitutional doubts must like plain meaning rule give way application produce futile result unreasonable result plainly variance policy legislation whole disregard plain meaning inappropriate litigation circumstances gun control act passed june gauzy nature constitutional concerns apparently underlie reluctance read statutes written several different bills dealing firearms control bottled various stages legislative process prior june brought floor enacted dramatic swiftness following assassination senator robert kennedy early part month senator kennedy assassination following less three months similar killing reverend martin luther king obviously focused attention congress problem firearms control seems permissible irresistible reading language two statutes conclude congress intended enacted authorize enhancement sentence already imposed virtue expresses concern however construction adopted problems double jeopardy raised virtue decision blockburger blockburger course based double jeopardy clause constitution simply upon analysis relevant principles statutory construction determining whether two offenses sufficiently distinguishable permit imposition cumulative punishment brown ohio ante speak congressional provision enhanced punishment offense clearly raising constitutional doubts blockburger test use language metaphysics rather constitutional law brown ohio supra decided last term provides support majority position case involved two entirely separate distinct prosecutions act one crime stealing automobile admittedly lesser included offense operating vehicle without owner consent even recognized double jeopardy guarantee serves principally restraint courts prosecutors legislature remains free double jeopardy clause define crimes fix punishments legislature acted courts may impose one punishment offense prosecutors ordinarily may attempt secure punishment one trial omitted language together circumstances surrounding enactment makes abundantly clear intended authorize enhancement punishment circumstances believe congressman poff statement floor house representatives sufficient overcome meaning language think read clearly constitutional therefore dissent