No. 18-9277

Melvin Scott Morman v. United States

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2019-05-14
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP
Tags: §-2255-motion armed-career-criminal-act burden-of-proof circuit-split criminal-procedure enumerated-offenses-clause johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-enhancement violent-felony
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw HabeasCorpus
Latest Conference: 2019-10-11 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

When the record is silent as to which enhancement clause applied, what showing is a § 2255 movant required to make to prove he is entitled to relief on the merits of his Johnson claim?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED In Johnson v. United States, this Court invalidated the residual clause of the Armed Career Criminal Act, but left intact the two remaining definitions of a “violent felony.” In Mr. Morman’s case, the sentencing court did not specifically indicate whether his prior convictions qualified as “violent felonies” under the residual clause, the enumerated offenses clause, or some combination of the two. To prove that his claim falls within the scope of the new constitutional rule announced in Johnson, a § 2255 movant must prove that his sentence was based upon the now-defunct residual clause. The question presented is: when the record is silent as to which enhancement clause applied, what showing is a § 2255 movant required to make to prove he is entitled to relief on the merits of his Johnson claim? As the Third, Fourth, and Ninth Circuits have held, is it sufficient for the Johnson claimant to show that his sentence “may have” been based on the residual clause? Or, as a majority of Circuits have held, must the § 2255 movant bear the burden of showing by a preponderance of the evidence that he was sentenced solely upon the residual clause at the time of his sentencing hearing? ii

Docket Entries

2019-10-15
Petition DENIED.
2019-09-19
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/11/2019.
2019-09-19
Reply of petitioner Melvin Morman filed. (Distributed)
2019-09-04
Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
2019-07-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including September 4, 2019.
2019-07-29
Motion to extend the time to file a response from August 5, 2019 to September 4, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
2019-06-27
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including August 5, 2019.
2019-06-25
Motion to extend the time to file a response from July 5, 2019 to August 5, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
2019-06-04
Response Requested. (Due July 5, 2019)
2019-05-29
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/13/2019.
2019-05-22
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2019-05-10
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due June 13, 2019)
2019-03-05
Application (18A887) granted by Justice Thomas extending the time to file until May 10, 2019.
2019-02-26
Application (18A887) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from March 11, 2019 to May 10, 2019, submitted to Justice Thomas.

Attorneys

Melvin Morman
Mackenzie S. LundFederal Defenders, Middle District of Alabama, Petitioner
United States
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent