United States v. Dixon, 509 U.S. 688, 26 (1993)

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Cite as: 509 U. S. 688 (1993)

Opinion of Rehnquist, C. J.

Chief Justice Rehnquist, with whom Justice O'Connor and Justice Thomas join, concurring in part and dissenting in part.

Respondent Alvin Dixon possessed cocaine with intent to distribute it. For that he was held in contempt of court for violating a condition of his bail release. He was later criminally charged for the same conduct with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Respondent Michael Foster assaulted and threatened his estranged wife. For that he was held in contempt of court for violating a civil protection order entered in a domestic relations proceeding. He was later criminally charged for the same conduct with assault, threatening to injure another, and assault with intent to kill.

The Court today concludes that the Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits the subsequent prosecutions of Foster for assault and Dixon for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, but does not prohibit the subsequent prosecutions of Foster for threatening to injure another or for assault with intent to kill. After finding that at least some of the charges here are not prohibited by the "same-elements" test set out in Blockburger v. United States, 284 U. S. 299, 304 (1932), the Court goes on to consider whether there is a double jeopardy bar under the "same-conduct" test set out in Grady v. Corbin, 495 U. S. 508, 510 (1990), and determines that there is. However, because the same-conduct test is inconsistent with the text and history of the Double Jeopardy Clause, was a departure from our earlier precedents, and has proven diffi-cult to apply, the Court concludes that Grady must be overruled. I do not join Part III of Justice Scalia's opinion because I think that none of the criminal prosecutions in this case were barred under Blockburger. I must then confront the expanded version of double jeopardy embodied in Grady. For the reasons set forth in the dissent in Grady, supra, at 526 (opinion of Scalia, J.), and in Part IV of the Court's opinion, I, too, think that Grady must be overruled. I

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