No. 19-8054October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020
Vineyard v. United States
The Supreme Court did not take up Vineyard for full review, so the lower-court result stands and the broader legal question remains unanswered by the justices.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
A petition for a writ of certiorari has been filed in this case, along with a request to proceed without paying court fees, asking the Supreme Court to review a lower court decision involving the United States government.
Question presented
Whether the "categorical approach" for determining whether a prior conviction is a "violent felony" under the Armed Career Criminal Act, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e), or a "crime of violence" under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, requires a court to consider the "realistic probability" that the state would apply the statute to conduct that does not meet the federal definition?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
Criminal Procedure
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court ended this case at the petition stage on April 20, 2020, without scheduling oral argument or issuing a merits opinion. That left the Eleventh Circuit's result in place and did not resolve the underlying question about how federal law compares a state conviction to a federal definition.
Vote
The case was not scheduled for argument, and the available record does not include a vote breakdown or opinion lineup.
Impact
This matters to people whose prior state convictions can trigger federal penalties or duties. For example, an older state conviction may lead to a longer federal sentence or other federal requirements depending on how courts read the match between state and federal law.
What's next
Nothing further is scheduled in this Supreme Court docket. Any future change would have to come through another case or a new challenge raising the same issue.
What legal question did Vineyard v. United States raise?
The petition asked how courts should compare a past state conviction with a federal definition when federal consequences depend on that match. The Supreme Court did not answer that question on the merits.
Who could be affected by Vineyard v. United States?
People with prior state convictions that may trigger federal penalties or duties are the most affected. The Eleventh Circuit's result remains in place because the Supreme Court ended the case at the petition stage.
What happens next in Vineyard v. United States?
Nothing further is scheduled at the Supreme Court in this docket. Any change would have to come in a future case or from another court.
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court did not take up Vineyard for full review, so the lower-court result stands and the broader legal question remains unanswered by the justices.
Impact
This matters to people whose prior state convictions can trigger federal penalties or duties. For example, an older state conviction may lead to a longer federal sentence or other federal requirements depending on how courts read the match between state and federal law.
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