No. 19-8066October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
Lara-Cervantes v. United States
The Court declined review, leaving the lower-court result in place without deciding the legal question.
Case status
Decided · April 20, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
The Supreme Court granted Lara-Cervantes’s petition, vacated the Fifth Circuit’s judgment, and sent the case back for reconsideration in light of Holguin-Hernandez v. United States. Lara-Cervantes therefore prevailed in obtaining a new review of whether his sentencing claim had been properly preserved.
Question presented
Whether a crime that can be committed with a mens rea of recklessness can qualify as a “crime of violence” under United States Sentencing Guideline § 2L1.2?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
Criminal Procedure
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, leaving the lower-court result in place without deciding the legal question.
- Result
- Vacated
Impact
The Fifth Circuit's result remained in place for Lara-Cervantes. People whose federal sentencing turns on whether a prior reckless crime qualifies under this guideline may face the same issue in the Fifth Circuit.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Lara-Cervantes's case on April 20, 2020. It did not decide the merits of whether a crime committed recklessly can count as a “crime of violence” under Sentencing Guideline § 2L1.2.
Impact
The Fifth Circuit's result remained in place for Lara-Cervantes. People whose federal sentencing turns on whether a prior reckless crime qualifies under this guideline may face the same issue in the Fifth Circuit.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action in this docket. The lower-court result remains in effect for this case.
What did the Supreme Court do in Lara-Cervantes v. United States?
The Court declined certiorari (review). It did not decide the merits of the sentencing-guideline question.
Who is affected by the Lara-Cervantes case?
Lara-Cervantes remains bound by the Fifth Circuit's result. Others facing federal sentencing under Guideline § 2L1.2 may confront the same issue.
What happens next in Lara-Cervantes v. United States?
There is no further Supreme Court action in this docket. The Fifth Circuit's result remains in place.
Timing
Decided April 20, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 20, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 3, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Mar 19, 2020 | Court records
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
- Sep 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology