Beckles v. United States
U.S. Supreme Court · decided March 6, 2017 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Decided
- March 6, 2017
- Docket
- No. 15-8544
- Argued
- November 28, 2016
- Term
- October Term 2016
- Vote
- 7–0
- Majority author
- Justice Thomas
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Kennedy (wrote a concurrence), Justice Thomas (wrote), Justice Breyer, Justice Alito
- Concurring in the judgment
- Justice Ginsburg (wrote), Justice Sotomayor (wrote)
Oral argument transcript and advocates
Opinion excerpt
(Slip Opinion) OCTOBER TERM, 2016 1 Syllabus NOTE: Where it is feasible, a syllabus (headnote) will be released, as is being done in connection with this case, at the time the opinion is issued. The syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader. See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U. S. 321, 337. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Syllabus BECKLES v. UNITED STATES CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT No. 15–8544. Argued November 28, 2016—Decided March 6, 2017 Petitioner Beckles was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convict- ed felon, 18 U. S. C. §922(g)(1). His presentence investigation report concluded that he was eligible for a sentencing enhancement as a “career offender” under United States Sentencing Guideline §4B1.1(a) because his offense qualified as a “crime of violence” under §4B1.2(a)’s residual clause. The District Court sentenced petitioner as a career offender, and the Eleventh Circuit affirmed. Petitioner then filed a postconviction motion to vacate his sentence, arguing that his offense was not a “crime of violence.” The District Court de- nied the motion, and the Eleventh Circuit affirmed. Petitioner next filed a petition for a writ of certiorari from this Court. While his peti- tion was pending, this…
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