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No. 19-8709October Term 2019Decided Jun 14, 2021

Docket 19-8709October Term 2019 (2019–2020)

Greer v. United States

This case asked how federal appeals courts should handle unpreserved errors after Rehaif clarified that, in felon-in-possession cases, the government must prove the defendant knew he was a felon.

Case status

Current stage
Decided
Latest event
Decision released Jun 14, 2021
Case Accepted
Arguments
Decision ReleasedJun 14, 2021
What it's about

This case asked how federal appeals courts should handle unpreserved errors after Rehaif clarified that, in felon-in-possession cases, the government must prove the defendant knew he was a felon. The Court held that on plain-error review, an appellate court may look beyond the trial record, and a defendant is not entitled to relief without showing a reasonable probability that the outcome would have been different if the Rehaif error had not occurred.

Question presented

Whether when applying plain-error review based upon an intervening United States Supreme Court decision, a circuit court of appeals may review matters outside the trial record to determine whether the error affected a defendant’s substantial rights or impacted the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of the trial?

Case path

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit / Decision released Jun 14, 2021

Area

Decided Supreme Court case

Timing

Decided June 14, 2021

The Court released its decision on June 14, 2021 without hearing oral argument.