| 25-6332 |
Ángel Forteza-García v. United States |
First Circuit |
2025-12-10 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
aiding-abetting appellate-review crime-of-violence mail-offense modified-categorical-approach sentencing-enhancement |
I. Does aiding and abetting a mail offense pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2114(a) constitute a crime of violence for purposes of serving as a predicate offen… |
| 25-6330 |
Jose M. Rojas-Tapia v. United States |
First Circuit |
2025-12-10 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
aiding-and-abetting appellate-review crime-of-violence mail-offense modified-categorical-approach sentencing-enhancement |
I. Does aiding and abetting a mail offense pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2114(a) constitute a crime of violence for purposes of serving as a predicate offen… |
| 25-5334 |
Billy Joe Russell v. United States |
Fifth Circuit |
2025-08-13 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
categorical-approach circuit-split criminal-law modified-categorical-approach prior-conviction statutory-interpretation |
Whether a defendant challenging a prior state conviction under the categorical or modified categorical approaches must produce actual state court deci… |
| 24-5484 |
Irvin Abreu v. United States |
First Circuit |
2024-09-06 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
categorical-approach circuit-split divisibility modified-categorical-approach sentencing-enhancement state-law-interpretation |
The First Circuit affirmed application of a sentencing enhancement under 18
U.S.C. § 2251(e), based on Petitioner Irvin Abreu's prior state-court conv… |
| 24-5040 |
Juan Alberto Ortiz-Orellana v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2024-07-10 |
Denied |
Relisted (2)IFP |
attempted use but can be committed by accidental means or by fa has as an element the use or threatened use of physical force bodily-injury crime-of-violence felony-murder force-clause mens-rea modified-categorical-approach physical-force premeditated-murder use-of-force |
Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(A), a felony qualifies as a "crime of violence" if it "has as an element the use, at-tempted use, or threatened use of phy… |
| 23-7021 |
Darron Henderson v. United States |
Third Circuit |
2024-03-19 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
categorical-approach divisibility federal-courts mathis-standard modified-categorical-approach state-law statutory-construction third-circuit-test |
Whether the Third Circuit's test for divisibility —which makes subsection organization dispositive, and which permits examination of facts if a statut… |
| 23-6702 |
Nardino Colotti, et al. v. United States |
Second Circuit |
2024-02-08 |
Denied |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP |
categorical-approach circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-law divisibility modified-categorical-approach racketeering-activity rico rico-statute state-law-offenses |
1. Does § 1961(1)(A) of RICO incorporate—and thereby require the
Government to plead and prove beyond a reasonable doubt—the elements of
specific stat… |
| 23-5852 |
Kareem Davis v. United States |
Second Circuit |
2023-10-20 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
18-usc-1959 18-usc-924c categorical-analysis categorical-approach circuit-split crime-of-violence modified-categorical-approach racketeering statutory-interpretation |
Is murder in aid of racketeering ("VICAR murder'), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(1), an indivisible offense requiring a categorical analysis bas… |
| 22-6836 |
Robert Speed v. United States |
Second Circuit |
2023-02-22 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
18-usc-924(c) categorical-approach circuit-split crime-of-violence divisible-statute modified-categorical-approach racketeering-activity rico-statute statutory-interpretation |
In assessing whether RICO is a § 924(c)(3)(A) "crime of violence," is the statutory definition of "racketeering activity" divisible, such that a court… |
| 21-8062 |
Bryant Love v. United States |
Seventh Circuit |
2022-06-06 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
18-usc-924 armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing modified-categorical-approach sentencing-enhancement state-supreme-court statutory-interpretation violent-felony |
When applying the categorical and modified categorical approach sentencing courts are instructed to use a states statutory definition df it's elements… |
| 21-6825 |
Diana Bustamante v. United States |
Eighth Circuit |
2022-01-12 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
career-offender categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law modified-categorical-approach predicate-offenses sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation |
Do statutes criminalizing simulated controlled substances count as predicate "controlled substance offenses" for applicability of the career offender … |
| 21-6524 |
Joshua James Mjoness v. United States |
Tenth Circuit |
2021-12-06 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
charging-language crime-of-violence criminal-law mathis-precedent modified-categorical-approach predicate-offense sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation |
Whet her, when applying the modified categorical approach under Mathis v. United States , 136 S. Ct. 2243 (2016) , a court may place determinative wei… |
| 21-6234 |
Edward Stain v. United States |
Ninth Circuit |
2021-11-12 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
aiding-and-abetting conviction crimes-of-violence criminal-law hobbs-act-robbery modified-categorical-approach predicate-offense section-924c shepard-documents statutory-interpretation |
1. Petitioner Stain asks this Court to address whether a conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) is unconstitutional when the Shepard documents do not cle… |
| 21-6231 |
Christopher Lee Scott v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2021-11-10 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
categorical-approach controlled-substance controlled-substance-offenses divisibility fourth-circuit-review modified-categorical-approach precedent remand sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation |
I. Whether this case should be remanded for the Fourth Circuit to decide the issue presented below, which is whether S.C. Code §§ 44-53-370 and 44-53-… |
| 21-482 |
Hassan Sharif Ali, aka Big Hassan v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2021-09-30 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-procedure due-process jury-verdict modified-categorical-approach predicate-offense statutory-interpretation united-states-code united-states-v-davis |
Whether a court must apply the modified categorical approach to determine whether a verdict of conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) necessarily rests o… |
| 20-8053 |
William Leroy Sanders v. United States |
Eighth Circuit |
2021-05-18 |
Denied |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP |
armed-career-criminal armed-career-criminal-act iowa-interference-with-official-acts johnson-precedent mathis-analysis mathis-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach residual-clause section-2255 sentencing statutory-overbreadth violent-felony |
Whether Mr. Sanders was improperly denied 28 U.S.C. § 2255 relief from his fifteen-year Armed Career Criminal Sentence, pursuant to United States v. J… |
| 20-7126 |
Dominic Anthony Davis, et al. v. United States |
Ninth Circuit |
2021-02-11 |
Denied |
Relisted (2)IFP |
18-usc-924c aiding-and-abetting armed-bank-robbery circuit-split fact-based-harmless-error-review harmless-error jury-verdict modified-categorical-approach predicate-offense section-924c shepard-documents |
I. Where an 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) conviction rests on more than one possible predicate offense, the Shepard documents must conclusively establish that a … |
| 20-6084 |
Laron J. Wainwright v. United States |
Eighth Circuit |
2020-10-20 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
almendarez-torres-v-united-states armed-career-criminal-act judicial-records jury-trial modified-categorical-approach prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-enhancement sixth-amendment |
Most circuits agree that when increasing a defendant's sentence beyond the normal statutory maximum pursuant to the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA), … |
| 19-7972 |
Javier Brown v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2020-03-12 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
4b1.1 career-offender categorical-approach drug-offense fourth-circuit modified-categorical-approach predicate-drug-offense prior-conviction records-of-conviction sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-4b1.1 south-carolina-code |
Pursuant to Section 4B1.1 of the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines, following a conviction for a narcotics offense, an offender who has a… |
| 19-7965 |
Cedric Edney v. United States |
Fifth Circuit |
2020-03-11 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
categorical-approach controlled-substance-offense controlled-substances criminal-law fifth-circuit-interpretation mathis-standard mathis-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation taylor-precedent taylor-v-united-states u-s-s-g-section-4b1-2-b |
Did the Fifth Circuit Err in deciding as an issue of first impression, that Texas offenses of Distribution of controlled substances and possession wit… |
| 19-7706 |
Tommy Adams, Jr. v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2020-02-19 |
Denied |
Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP |
career-offender career-offender-guideline controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense controlled-substances criminal-law fourth-circuit modified-categorical-approach sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation taylor-descamps-mathis-precedent taylor-v-united-states |
DID THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS INCORRECTLY APPLY THE LINE OF AUTHORITY FROM THIS COURT BEGINNING WITH TAYLOR V. UNITED STATES, 495 U.S. 575 (… |
| 19-7326 |
Jimmy Lee Allred v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2020-01-16 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
18-usc-1513 18-usc-924 armed-career-criminal-act bodily-injury categorical-approach modified-categorical-approach taylor-v-united-states violent-felony violent-force witness-retaliation |
1. Clarification is needed to unite the Circuits in determining when to use the "Categorical Approach" defined in Taylor v. United States, 495 U.S. 57… |
| 19-7307 |
Julian Moz-Aguilar v. United States |
Third Circuit |
2020-01-16 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
categorical-approach conduct-based-inquiry crime-of-violence elements-clause force-requirement johnson-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach physical-force sentencing-court |
In applying the categorical or modified categorical approach to § 924(c)(3)(A), must a sentencing court limit its consideration to the elements of an … |
| 19-6939 |
Anthony Scott Hunt v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2019-12-13 |
Denied |
Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP |
base-offense-level categorical-approach controlled-substance-offense divisibility drug-statute modified-categorical-approach predicate-offense sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g-§-4b1.2(b) u.s.s.g.-§-2k2.1(a)(4)(a) u.s.s.g.-§-4b1.2(b) |
WHETHER A STATE DRUG STATUTE, THAT IS EITHER COMPLETELY INDIVISIBLE OR AT MOST ONLY DIVISIBLE INTO NO MORE THAN THREE GENERALLY SEPARATE OFFENSES, ALL… |
| 19-6418 |
Wayne Neville Morris v. United States |
Ninth Circuit |
2019-10-29 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
certificate-of-appealability constructive-amendment criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-error due-process fatal-variance fifth-amendment modified-categorical-approach rule-of-lenity sixth-amendment |
1. Whether, a conviction based on an erroneous legal theory, interpretation or
a mistake about the law, can continue to be sustained, once the petitio… |
| 19-438 |
Clemente Avelino Pereida v. Robert M. Wilkinson, Acting Attorney General |
Eighth Circuit |
2019-10-02 |
Judgment Issued |
Amici (5) |
ambiguous-record burden-of-proof categorical-approach circuit-split conviction-record federal-offense immigration-law modified-categorical-approach noncitizen-status removal-proceedings statutory-interpretation |
Whether a criminal conviction bars a noncitizen from applying for relief from removal when the record of conviction is merely ambiguous as to whether … |
| 19-6037 |
John Anzures v. United States |
Tenth Circuit |
2019-09-24 |
Denied |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP |
armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach commercial-burglary generic-burglary johnson-motion johnson-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach residual-clause sentencing-enhancement stitt-v-united-states taylor-v-united-states |
When a Johnson petitioner would not be an armed career criminal if sentenced today, is it right to endorse the Tenth Circuit's "relevant legal backgro… |
| 19-5089 |
Clifford B. Gandy, Jr. v. United States |
Eleventh Circuit |
2019-07-05 |
Denied |
IFP |
categorical-approach crime-of-violence divisible-offense divisible-statute modified-categorical-approach nolo-contendere physical-force plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines shepard-documents |
I
Where a divisible offense may be committed two ways, one
of which satisfies the "crime of violence" element of
physical force, and one of which does… |
| 19-5085 |
Darren L. Lee v. United States |
Eleventh Circuit |
2019-07-05 |
Denied |
Relisted (2)IFP |
criminal-procedure divisible-offense federal-sentencing full-faith-and-credit modified-categorical-approach physical-force plea-bargain sentencing shepard-documents united-states-v-horse-looking violent-felony |
Where a divisible offense may be committed two ways, one of which satisfies the "violent felony" element of physical force, and one of which does not,… |
| 18-9618 |
Rafael Mata-Jimenez v. United States |
Ninth Circuit |
2019-06-11 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
ambiguous-record burden-of-proof categorical-approach deportation immigration-law modified-categorical-approach noncitizen-status record-of-conviction relief-from-removal removal-proceedings |
Whether a criminal conviction bars a noncitizen from applying for relief from removal when the record of conviction is merely ambiguous as to whether … |
| 18-1378 |
Michael Ledet v. Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
Louisiana |
2019-05-02 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
age-element categorical-approach circumstance-specific-approach constitutional-comparison due-process federal-state-comparison fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment modified-categorical-approach sex-offender-registration sorna |
In 2006, Congress passed the Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act (SORNA) to make the federal and state systems more uniform and effective. SORN… |
| 18-9106 |
Daqone Lentell Williams v. United States |
Sixth Circuit |
2019-05-02 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
career-offender career-offender-predicate felony-complaints modified-categorical-analysis modified-categorical-approach prior-conviction sentencing-court sentencing-court-consideration sentencing-guidelines shepard-analysis shepard-v-united-states sixth-amendment unadopted-assertions |
Whether a sentencing court may consider felony complaints, with unadopted assertions, under Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13 (2005), when that co… |
| 18-8654 |
Karyea Williams v. United States |
Fourth Circuit |
2019-04-01 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
categorical-approach collateral-review descamps mathis Mathis-retroactivity mathis-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines teague Teague-exception |
Did The Court Of Appeals err by dismissing the appeal of the District Court's reasoning that Mathis was inapplicable to Karyea Williams on Collateral … |
| 18-7096 |
Reinaldo Santos v. United States |
Eleventh Circuit |
2018-12-19 |
GVR |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (4)IFP |
acca acca-violent-felony armed-career-criminal-act battery categorical-approach circuit-split descamps divisibility florida florida-battery mathis mens-rea modified-categorical-approach sixth-amendment violent-felony |
1. Is the "touches or strikes' language in the Florida battery statutes divisible under Descamps v. United States, 133 S.Ct. 2276 (2013) and Mathis v.… |
| 18-7067 |
Derrick Christopher Johnson v. United States |
Eighth Circuit |
2018-12-17 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
career-offender criminal-law divisible-statute drug-offense modified-categorical-approach plain-error prior-state-convictions sentencing sentencing-guidelines |
WHETHER PETITIONER'S "PRIOR STATE DRUG OFFENSES" QUALIFIED AS ENUMERATED OFFENSES UNDER THE "CAREER CRIMINAM" PROVISION OF THE UNITED STATES SENTENCIN… |
| 18-7036 |
Frank Richardson v. United States |
Sixth Circuit |
2018-12-14 |
GVR |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP |
18-usc-16b 18-usc-924c aiding-and-abetting categorical-approach circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-law due-process hobbs-act hobbs-act-robbery modified-categorical-approach statutory-interpretation vagueness-doctrine void-for-vagueness |
In Sessions v. Dimaya , 138 S. Ct. 1204, 1223 (2018) this Court recently struck down as unconstitutionally vague the Immigration and Nationality Act's… |
| 18-6495 |
Richard Anthony Trent v. United States |
Tenth Circuit |
2018-10-30 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
armed-career-criminal-act circuit-split demand-for-certainty divisibility divisible-statute federal-courts federal-statute-interpretation mathis-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach state-law-materials statutory-interpretation |
Is the demand for certainty satisfied where, after a survey of relevant, state-law materials, the federal court can only say what is "suggestive" and … |
| 18-5274 |
Manuel Vega v. United States |
Ninth Circuit |
2018-07-19 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
california-health-and-safety-code-11378 categorical-approach controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-conviction divisible-statute drug-offense federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guideline mathis-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach sentencing-enhancement state-court-decision |
A prior drug conviction, if it is a federal "controlled substance offense," can increase a federal criminal sentence or result in an alien's deportati… |
| 18-5056 |
Joshua D. Bouziden v. United States |
Tenth Circuit |
2018-06-29 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
18-usc-924e armed-career-criminal-act criminal-sentencing divisibility juror-unanimity modified-categorical-approach predicate-conviction prior-conviction sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation |
Whether a predicate prior conviction under the Armed Career
Criminal Act, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e), is divisible for purposes of the
modified categorical ap… |
| 18-5033 |
Johnny L. Dawson v. United States |
Eleventh Circuit |
2018-06-29 |
Denied |
Response WaivedIFP |
armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach criminal-sentencing due-process eleventh-circuit modified-categorical-approach prior-convictions prior-offenses sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing,criminal-law,statutory-interpretation statutory-interpretation |
1. Whether the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals erred in holding Petitioner's prior offenses qualified him under the Armed Career Criminal Act ("ACCA… |