No. 19-8049October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020
Ruff v. United States
The Supreme Court did not take Ruff's case, so the Fourth Circuit's result stood and the justices did not resolve the sentencing question presented in this record.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
The petitioner has asked the Supreme Court to review a lower court decision involving the United States government and has requested permission to proceed without paying standard filing fees.
Question presented
Whether North Carolina common-law robbery is a "violent felony" under the Armed Career Criminal Act’s "force clause," 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(B)(i)?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Briefing
What it's about
Ruff asked the Supreme Court to review a federal sentencing dispute from the Fourth Circuit. On April 20, 2020, the Court declined review and left the lower-court result in place without deciding the underlying issue.
Vote
The docket shows the Court declined review on April 20, 2020, but no vote breakdown or opinion lineup is provided here.
Impact
That meant Ruff did not get Supreme Court review of his sentence, and the Fourth Circuit's judgment remained in effect. Other defendants raising similar sentencing complaints got no new nationwide answer from the justices.
What's next
This Supreme Court docket is over. Because the justices declined review, the Fourth Circuit's decision remains in effect.
What was Ruff v. United States about?
Ruff asked the Supreme Court to review a federal sentencing dispute from the Fourth Circuit. The petition materials say he challenged a sentencing enhancement on due process grounds.
Who was affected when the Court declined Ruff's petition?
Ruff was affected first, because his lower-court loss stayed in place. Other defendants with similar sentencing claims got no new nationwide rule from the Court.
What happens next in Ruff v. United States?
Nothing further happens in this Supreme Court docket. The Court declined review, so the Fourth Circuit judgment remains in effect.
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court did not take Ruff's case, so the Fourth Circuit's result stood and the justices did not resolve the sentencing question presented in this record.
Impact
That meant Ruff did not get Supreme Court review of his sentence, and the Fourth Circuit's judgment remained in effect. Other defendants raising similar sentencing complaints got no new nationwide answer from the justices.
Not official Court text.
Timing
Decided April 20, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 20, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology