No. 24-7471

Quintin T. Ferguson v. United States

Lower Court: Seventh Circuit
Docketed: 2025-06-20
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: arson-statute criminal-law interstate-commerce overbreadth-doctrine sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation
Latest Conference: 2025-09-29
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Did the Seventh Circuit err by concluding Mr. Ferguson's § 844(i) arson conviction was not overbroad?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

The Seventh Circuit decided Quintin Ferguson’s 18 U.S.C. § 844(i) arson conviction was a crime of violence that subjected him to United States Sentencing Guidelines (U.S.S.G.) § 4B1.1(a) penalty. However, § 844(i) is overbroad. It requires that a defendant “ma liciously damages or destroys, or attempts to damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce or in any activity affecting interstate or foreign comme rce”. By comparison, c ommon law arson and stat utory versions used by most states require that the property affected by arson: belong to another person; or that the property was damaged, etc. by its owner to collect insurance proceeds. Mr. Ferguson a rgued on appeal that § 844(i) arson was categorically overbroad relative to common law arson and states statutory versions of arson. Did the Seventh Circuit err by concluding Mr. Ferguson’s § 844(i) arson conviction was not overbroad?

Docket Entries

2025-10-06
Petition DENIED.
2025-07-10
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
2025-07-08
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-07-08
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-06-13
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due July 21, 2025)

Attorneys

Quintin Ferguson
Daniel HillisFederal Public Defender's Office CDIL, Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
Moez Mansoor KabaHueston Hennigan LLP, Respondent