Barrett v. United States · ¶48

Accordingly, § 924(c)'s consecutive-sentence mandate simply speaks past the question in this case: whether one act may result in two convictions. To that question it is no answer to say, as the consecutive-sentence mandate does, that a “term of imprisonment imposed” for a conviction shall run consecutively to “any other term of imprisonment imposed.” § 924(c)(1)(D)(ii). Before the consecutive-sentence mandate gains any relevance, a court must first determine whether two punishments (convictions) may be imposed at all. Only if two convictions may coexist does a court consult the consecutive-sentence mandate, to arrange properly the resulting sentences.

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