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Beckles v. United States

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
15-8544 11th Cir. Nov 28, 2016 Mar 6, 2017 7-0 Thomas OT 2016

Holding: The Federal Sentencing Guidelines, including Section 4B1.2(a)'s residual clause, are not subject to vagueness challenges under the due process clause.

Judgment: Affirmed, 7-0, in an opinion by Justice Thomas on March 6, 2017. Justice Kennedy filed a concurring opinion. Justice Ginsburg and Justice Sotomayor filed opinions concurring in the judgment. Justice Kagan took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
Mar 09 2016Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due April 13, 2016)
Apr 07 2016Order extending time to file response to petition to and including May 13, 2016.
May 10 2016Letter dated May 6, 2016, received from counsel for petitioner waiving the 14-day waiting period for the filing of a reply brief pursuant to Rule 15.5.
May 13 2016Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
May 18 2016DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 2, 2016.
May 23 2016Reply of petitioner Travis Beckles filed. (Distributed)
Jun 06 2016DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 9, 2016.
Jun 08 2016Supplemental brief of petitioner Travis Beckles filed. (Distributed)
Jun 13 2016DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 16, 2016.
Jun 20 2016DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 23, 2016.
Jun 27 2016Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED. Justice Kagan took no part in the consideration or decision of this motion and this petition.
Aug 11 2016Adam K. Mortara, Esquire, of Chicago, Illinois, is invited to brief and argue this case, as amicus curiae, in support of the judgment below on Question 2 presented by the petition. Justice Kagan took no part in the consideration or decision of this order.
Aug 11 2016Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
Aug 11 2016Brief of petitioner Travis Beckles filed.
Aug 16 2016The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including September 19, 2016.
Aug 16 2016The time to file the brief of Court-appointed amicus curiae in support of the judgment below on Question 2 presented by the petition is extended to and including October 21, 2016.
Aug 16 2016Briefs of other amici curiae in support of the judgment below on Question 2 presented by the petition are to be filed on or before October 28, 2016.
Aug 18 2016Brief amici curiae of Federal Public and Community Defenders, and the National Association of Federal Defenders filed.
Aug 18 2016Brief amicus curiae of Scholars of Criminal Law, Federal Courts, and Sentencing filed.
Sep 19 2016Brief of respondent United States filed.
Oct 20 2016Motion for enlargement of time for oral argument and for divided argument filed by respondent United States.
Oct 21 2016SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, November 28, 2016
Oct 21 2016Brief of Court-appointed amicus curiae in support of the judgment below on Question 2 filed.
Oct 26 2016CIRCULATED.
Nov 01 2016Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 11th Circuit.
Nov 14 2016Motion for additional time to argue by respondent GRANTED. and the time is divided as follows: 25 minutes for petitioner, 25 minutes for respondent, and 15 minutes for the Court-appointed amicus curiae. Justice Kagan took no part in the consideration or decision of this motion.
Nov 15 2016Record received from the U.S.D.C. Southern District of Florida 1 Envelope. Also received from the Southern District of Florida are SEALED documents, these records are electronic.
Nov 17 2016Reply of petitioner Travis Beckles filed. (Distributed)
Nov 21 2016Reply of respondent United States filed. (Distributed)
Nov 28 2016Argued. For petitioner: Janice L. Bergmann, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. For respondent: Michael R. Dreeben, Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. For Court-appointed amicus curiae: Adam K. Mortara, Chicago, Ill. (Appointed by this Court.)
Mar 06 2017Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Thomas, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Kennedy, Breyer, and Alito, JJ., joined. Kennedy, J., filed a concurring opinion. Ginsburg, J., and Sotomayor, J., filed opinions concurring in the judgment. Kagan, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
Apr 07 2017JUDGMENT ISSUED.
Aug 28 2017Record from the U.S.D.C. Southern District of Florida has been returned.