No. 24-6686

Deonta Brown v. United States

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-03-03
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: commerce-clause constitutional-interpretation criminal-law hobbs-act interstate-commerce substantial-effect
Latest Conference: 2025-03-28
Question Presented (from Petition)

In order to convict a defendant of robbery of a local business establishment under the Hobbs Act, must the prosecution prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the robbery itself substantially affected interstate commerce – without considering the "aggregate" effect on interstate commerce of countless other, unspecified robberies of similar business establishments? This Court reserved this question in Taylor v. United States, 579 U.S. 301, 310 (2016).

II. Should this Court reconsider its precedent broadly interpreting Article I, § 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, as applied to congressional regulation of intrastate activities that do not affect the instrumentalities or channels of interstate commerce, to reflect the intent of the Framers of the Constitution?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

In order to convict a defendant of robbery of a local business establishment under the Hobbs Act, must the prosecution prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the robbery itself substantially affected interstate commerce without considering the 'aggregate' effect on interstate commerce of countless other, unspecified robberies of similar business establishments?

Docket Entries

2025-03-31
Petition DENIED.
2025-03-13
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/28/2025.
2025-03-05
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-02-26
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due April 2, 2025)

Attorneys

Deonta Brown
Brent Evan NewtonAttorney at Law, Petitioner
United States
Sarah M. HarrisActing Solicitor General, Respondent