815 F.3d 1291
11th Cir.2016Background
- Adams was sentenced to 180 months under ACCA for possession of a firearm as a felon after pleading guilty.
- The district court relied on two Florida convictions for fleeing or attempting to elude to classify Adams as an ACCA career offender.
- The remaining requirements for ACCA enhancement included a third qualifying predicate conviction; the government acknowledged a fourth conviction was not relied upon for the enhancement.
- Adams objected that the ACCA residual clause was unconstitutionally vague, which would affect the predicate status of the Florida convictions.
- After Johnson v. United States (2015) invalidated the residual clause, the government conceded the Florida fleeing/elude offenses no longer qualify under ACCA, and the district court’s sentence based on them was erroneous.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is the ACCA residual clause unconstitutional under Johnson v. United States? | Adams argues the residual clause is vague. | Government concedes residual clause unconstitutional. | Yes; residual clause unconstitutional. |
| Do Adams’s Fla. §316.1935 fleeing/elude convictions qualify as ACCA predicates post-Johnson? | Fla. §316.1935 offenses used to qualify under ACCA. | Post-Johnson these offenses do not qualify as violent felonies. | No; cannot form ACCA predicate after Johnson. |
Key Cases Cited
- Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) (invalidated ACCA residual clause as unconstitutionally vague)
- United States v. Canty, 570 F.3d 1251 (11th Cir. 2009) (government may have one opportunity to argue enhancement at sentencing)
