In United States v. Green, No. 14-12830 (Sept. 29, 2017) (Julie Carnes, Jordan, Robreno), the Court revised its earlier panel opinion from December 2016 in light of the recent en banc decision in Vail-Bailon. Relying on Vail-Bailon, it held that the defendant's Florida felony battery conviction satisfied the elements clause.  The panel removed its earlier holding that the "touching or striking" component of Florida battery law was divisible, and that the defendant's offense involved a striking under the modified categorical approach. Recent News

In Griffith v. United States, No. 15-11877 (Sept. 26, 2017) (Ed Carnes, Rosenbaum, Dubina), the Court concluded that the district court erred by failing to hold an evidentiary hearing a 2255 motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. The motion alleged that trial counsel was ineffective by failing to argue that some waste materials in the drug manufacturing process should not have been included as a “mixture or substance”in the drug quantity determination. After reviewing the case law on that subject in depth, it concluded that, accepting the allegations as true, counsel was deficient for failing to research circuit precedent on the issue--namely, whether certain liquids used to make methamphetamine were "usable" and thus countable. The Court also concluded that this deficient performance was prejudicial because the drug quantity determination raised the guideline range and triggered a mandatory minimum penalty, and there was nothing in the record indicating that these errors did not affect his sentence.  In footnote 14, the Court said that this conclusion was consistent with the recent decision in Beeman, because, if his allegations were proven and he faced an erroneously high guideline range, then he would have likely received a lower sentence. After an extended discussion, the Court found [...]

In Beeman v. United States, No. 16-16710 (Sept. 22, 2017) (Julie Carnes, Edmondson, Kathleen Williams), the Court held that an initial 2255 movant bringing an ACCA Johnson claim failed to meet his burden of proof, because he could not prove that it was more likely than not that the sentencing court relied on the residual clause, as opposed to another clause. As an initial matter, the Court agreed that the 2255 motion was in part timely under 2255(f)(3). His motion alleged that his prior conviction for Georgia aggravated assault was no longer a violent felony, both because it did not satisfy the elements clause after Descamps and because it did not satisfy the residual clause after Johnson.  Although the Court found that the Descamps aspect of that claim was untimely, it found that the Johnson aspect was timely. However, it affirmed on the ground that the movant could not meet his burden to show that the sentencing court had relied on the residual clause.  The Court relied heavily on the burden of proof in 2255 proceedings being on the movant, and it refused to place that burden on the government merely because sentencing courts did not specify the [...]

In United States v. Williams, No. 16-16444 (Sept. 20, 2017) (Tjoflat, Hull, William Pryor) (per curiam), the Court affirmed the denial of the defendant's motion to suppress. First, the Court concluded that the search of an outbuilding adjacent to the defendant's residence was lawful, because the search was a reasonable entry pursuant to an arrest warrant for the defendant.  The totality of the circumstances supported the agents' belief that the defendant lived on the property, either in the main residence or in the outbuilding (both were possible living spaces), and that he was present in one of those two buildings at the time the warrant was executed (since his car was there and it was early in the morning). Second, the Court alternatively concluded that the search of the outbuilding, while the defendant was being arrested in the main residence, was a valid protective sweep.  The outbuilding was a separate structure 20 feet away, there was noise indicating that drug distribution activities might be occurring on the property, and there were three cars parked in the driveway, suggesting that more people might be on the premises and pose a danger. Finally, the Court, applying plain error, rejected the [...]

In United States v. Masino, No. 16-15451 (Sept. 7, 2017) (William Pryor, Ed Carnes, Moore), the Court reversed the dismissal of an indictment charging a violation of the federal gambling statute. The issue was whether an indictment alleging a violation of Florida's bingo and gambling statutes sufficiently alleged an element of the federal gambling statute--namely, that the business is an illegal gambling business, which turned on whether it "is a violation" of state law.  The Court concluded that it did, because there were at least some violations of Florida's bingo statute that could render the business an illegal gambling business under federal law.  For example, the business would be illegal if it allowed charities to sponsor the event without their direct involvement, or if it did not return all bingo proceeds to the players.  The Court therefore did not address whether Florida gambling statutes could serve as a basis for upholding the indictment. One defendant cross-appealed regarding the court's failure to dismiss the count of the indictment in its entirety.  The Court, however, declined to exercise its discretion to consider that cross appeal under the doctrine of pendant appellate jurisdiction. Recent News [...]