United States of America v. Jeremy Christian Nelson

Jeremy Christian Nelson and Ted McCall Snow appeal sentences imposed

under the Armed Career Criminal Act, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1), after they each

pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, id. § 922(g)(1). In

general, that crime carries a maximum sentence of 10-years imprisonment.

But if a defendant has at least three prior “serious drug offense” or

“violent felony” convictions, he instead faces a minimum of 15-years

imprisonment under the ACCA. § 924(e)(1).

Defendants were sentenced under the ACCA after their sentencing courts concluded they each had at least three prior violent felony convictions. Both Defendants have prior convictions for third-degree burglary under Alabama law,

these convictions are not violent felonies under the ACCA. Together, our decision

in United States v. Howard, 742 F.3d 1334 (11th Cir. 2014), and the United States

Supreme Court’s decision in Johnson v. United States, 576 U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), compel the conclusion that Defendants are correct.

A “violent felony” is “any crime punishable by imprisonment for a term

exceeding one year” that meets one (or more) of three definitions:

1. It “has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another.” § 924(e)(2)(B)(i) [elements-based definition].

2. It “is burglary, arson, or extortion, or involves use of explosives.” § 924(e)(2)(B)(ii) [enumerated-offenses definition].

3. It “otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.” Id. [residual clause].

Defendants’ third-degree burglary convictions do not qualify under any of the three

definitions.

First, Defendants’ third-degree burglary convictions do not qualify under the

elements-based definition. The Alabama statute of conviction criminalizes

“knowingly enter[ing] or remain[ing] unlawfully in a building with intent to

commit a crime therein.” § 13A-7-7(a). The definitions of terms used in that

statute are found in § 13A-7-1 (1983). Based on these definitions, read together 2 The government first contended that these appeals are barred by appeal waivers in the Defendants’ plea agreements, but it no longer makes this argument.

Second, we have already held that convictions under the same

Alabama statute do not qualify under the enumerated-offenses definition. See

Howard, 742 F.3d at 1342, 1349.

Third and finally, in Johnson the Supreme Court declared the residual clause

of the ACCA to be unconstitutionally vague. 135 S. Ct. at 2557. The Court wrote:

“imposing an increased sentence under the residual clause of the Armed Career

Criminal Act violates the Constitution’s guarantee of due process.” Id. at 2563.

Without the residual clause of the ACCA, there is no longer any basis for

characterizing the Alabama third degree burglary statute as a violent felony under

the ACCA.

We therefore vacate Defendants’ sentences and remand for resentencing.3

VACATED and REMANDED.