CARRYING A GUN DURING DRUG CRIME IS DEFINED

Carrying a gun during a drug crime-grounds for a mandatory five-year
sentence increase-means not merely transporting it in a car but also having
it within easy reach,says a federal appeals court.

In an 8-3 ruling Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a
reduction in a 17-year drug sentence in Sacramento and weighed in on an
issue that has already reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Federal law requires the five-year increase for anyone who carries a gun
during and in relation to a violent crime or drug trafficking but does not
define "carries."