Quarles v. United States

The Supreme Court decided a dispute over how to read "burglary" under the Armed Career Criminal Act, a federal law that can increase prison time for some gun-possession cases. The question was whether a person must intend to commit a crime when unlawfully entering a building, or whether that intent can form later while unlawfully remaining inside.

The case was argued on April 24, 2019, and decided on June 10, 2019, but the vote count and opinion lineup are not provided here.

The answer affects whether some prior state home-invasion or burglary convictions can trigger longer federal sentences. For example, a felon convicted of possessing a gun could face extra prison time if an earlier conviction counts as burglary under this federal law.

The Supreme Court has finished this docket action. Lower courts and sentencing judges will apply the Court's decision in later Armed Career Criminal Act cases involving similar prior convictions.

The fight was over timing: when must the intent to commit a crime exist for an offense to count as burglary under federal sentencing law? The case focused on unlawful remaining inside a building, not just unlawful entry.

People with prior burglary or home-invasion convictions who later face federal gun charges could be affected. The answer can change whether they receive a longer sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act.

The Supreme Court's work in this case is over. Federal courts will use the decision when deciding whether similar past convictions count as burglary for sentence enhancements.