No. In the Supreme Court of the United States GARY C. BERNACKI, SR., Petitioner, v. STATE OF CONNECTICUT, Respondent. On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the Connecticut Supreme Court PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI JEFFREY A. MEYER ANDREW J. PINCUS Yale Law School Counsel of Record Supreme Court Clinic CHARLES A. ROTHFELD 127 Wall Street MICHAEL B. KIMBERLY New Haven, CT 06511 PAUL W. HUGHES (203) 432-4992 Mayer Brown LLP 1999 K Street, NW GLENN W. FALK New Haven Legal Washington, DC 20006 Assistance Assoc. Inc. (202) 263-3000
[email protected] 426 State St. New Haven, CT 06510 (203) 946-4811 Counsel for Petitioner QUESTION PRESENTED The Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits multiple punishments and successive prosecutions for the “same offence.” The Clause applies with respect to two distinct statutory offenses when the two crimes have the “same elements” under Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299 (1932). “The same- elements test, sometimes referred to as the ‘Block- burger’ test, inquires whether each offense contains an element not contained in the other; if not, they are the ‘same offence’ and double jeopardy bars addi- tional punishment and successive prosecution.” Unit- ed States v. Dixon, 509 U.S. 688, 696 (1993). The question presented is: Whether the crimes of violating a court order by possessing a firearm and possessing a firearm in violation of a court order constitute the same offense under the Blockburger standard. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Question Presented ..................................................... i Table of Authorities................................................... iii Opinions Below............................................................1 Jurisdiction..................................................................1 Constitutional Provision Involved..............................1 Statement ....................................................................1 A.