Clifford Laines, Jr. v. United States
Does "maximum term of imprisonment . . . prescribed by law"—as used in the Armed Career Criminal Act to define "serious drug offenses" that are predicated on prior state convictions—refer to the statutory maximum sentence that the underlying state offense carried, or the highest sentence that the particular defendant actually could have received under the then-applicable state-sentencing regime?
Does the 'maximum term of imprisonment... prescribed by law' for a prior state offense under the Armed Career Criminal Act's 'serious drug offense' definition refer to the statutory maximum sentence or the highest sentence the particular defendant could have received under the then-applicable state-sentencing regime?