On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case challenging the legal principle that the federal government and those of the states represent “separate sovereigns,” a long-held doctrine that has provided a work-around for state and federal prosecutors faced with constitutional double jeopardy concerns.

In the case, captioned Gamble v. United States, Terance Martez Gamble challenged prosecutions over charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Those cases—which resulted in convictions—were brought by Alabama state prosecutors and U.S. attorneys.