Burgess v. United States
| Keith Lavon Burges v United States | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued March 24, 2008 Decided April 16, 2008 | |
| Full case name | Burgess v United States |
| Citations | 553 U.S. 124 (more) 128 S.Ct. 1572; 170 L. Ed. 2d 478; 2008 U.S. LEXIS 3475 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Appeals court affirmed conviction, 478 F.3d 658 (4th Cir. 2007). |
| Holding | |
| States classification of a drug offense as misdemeanor, that was punishable by more than 1 year in jail was classified as a felony drug offense under federal law. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinion | |
| Majority | Ginsburg, joined by unanimous |
| Laws applied | |
| 21 U.S.C. 841 | |
Burgess v. United States, 553 U.S. 124 (2008), was a United States Supreme Court case concerning the interpretation of the words "federal drug offense" in the Controlled Substances Act.[1]
Background
[edit]Keith Lavon Burgess was convicted in a South Carolina state court for cocaine possession.[2] Although the maximum sentence under state law was two years, South Carolina classified the offense as a misdemeanor, rather than a felony.[3] At a later proceeding, Burgess pleaded guilty for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine in Federal Court.[4] At his sentencing, the judge applied to Burgess the "prior conviction" statute, which required a minimum twenty-year sentence for anyone with a prior "felony drug conviction."[5] In Burgess' appeal to the Court he maintained that since South Carolina considered his first offense a misdemeanor, the "prior felony drug conviction" did not apply.[6]
Opinion of the Court
[edit]In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court rejected Burgess' appeal, holding that "felony" refers to any offense that is punishable for more than a year even if another jurisdiction classifies the offense as a misdemeanor.[7]
See also
[edit]- Lopez v. Gonzales: state felony conviction that would be a federal misdemeanor
- List of United States Supreme Court cases
- Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume
- List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Roberts Court
References
[edit]- ^ Burgess v. United States, 553 U.S. 124, 126-27 (2008).
- ^ Burgess, 553 U.S. at 127 (citing S. C. Code Ann. § 44–53–370(c) and (d)(1) (2002 and Supp. 2007)).
- ^ Burgess, 553 U.S. at 127 (citing § 44–53–370(d)(1)).
- ^ Burgess, 553 U.S. at 127.
- ^ Burgess, 553 U.S. at 128 ("The court granted the motion and sentenced Burgess to 156 months' imprisonment followed by ten years' supervised release.").
- ^ Burgess, 553 U.S. at 128.
- ^ Burgess, 553 U.S. at 134, 136.
External links
[edit]- Text of Burgess v. United States, 553 U.S. 124 (2008) is available from: Cornell CourtListener Google Scholar Justia Oyez (oral argument audio) Google Scholar
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