No. 19-8147October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
Murillo-Morales v. United States
The Court declined review, so it did not resolve whether the Texas assault statute qualifies as a crime of violence under this guideline.
Case status
Decided · April 27, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
The Supreme Court denied review, leaving in place the Second Circuit’s decision that treated Murillo-Morales’s Texas assault conviction as a crime of violence for sentencing purposes. The Court did not decide the underlying statutory question on the merits.
Question presented
Whether the "reckless" proscription of the Texas assault statute, Tex. Penal Code § 22.01(a)(1), is divisible from the "knowing" and "intentional" proscriptions, such that the modified categorical approach may be used to determine whether a conviction under that statute is a "crime of violence" under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, so it did not resolve whether the Texas assault statute qualifies as a crime of violence under this guideline.
Impact
The case concerns whether a Texas assault conviction can increase a federal sentence as a crime of violence. This can affect people with such convictions who are sentenced under the federal guideline at issue.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Murillo-Morales's challenge involving a Texas assault law and federal sentencing guidelines. It did not decide the legal question on the merits, leaving the Second Circuit's result in place.
Impact
The case concerns whether a Texas assault conviction can increase a federal sentence as a crime of violence. This can affect people with such convictions who are sentenced under the federal guideline at issue.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its docket action. The Second Circuit's result remains in place for this case.
What did the Supreme Court do in Murillo-Morales v. United States?
The Court declined to hear the case. It did not decide the Texas-law question on the merits.
Who could be affected by the Murillo-Morales case?
People with Texas assault convictions who face sentencing under the federal guideline at issue could be affected. The classification can influence sentence calculations.
What happens next after Murillo-Morales?
There is no further Supreme Court action in this docket. The Second Circuit's result remains in place for this case.
Timing
Decided April 27, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 27, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 3, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Mar 18, 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