Prior assaults as violent crimes
Leland v. United States
In brief
- Where it stands
- Petition Pending
Awaiting an order on the petition
- What it’s about
- The case asks whether federal courts should use later Florida court rulings or the state-law interpretation in place when Whitfield Leland was convicted to decide whether his prior aggravated-assault conviction counts as a violent felony under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).
- What's at stake
- Whether the conviction counts as a violent-felony predicate under the federal law remains unresolved for Leland.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
His petition was distributed for conference, which is not a decision to hear the case.
Leland’s petition raises whether federal courts should use later Florida court rulings or the state-law interpretation in place when he was convicted.
Question presented
Whether the court of appeals correctly determined that petitioner’s prior conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, in violation of Fla. Stat. § 784.021(1)(a) (2011), qualifies as a conviction for a “violent felony” under the Armed Career Criminal Act of 1984, 18 U.S.C. 924(e).
What happens next
The Court must decide whether to hear the petition. It was distributed for a Dec. 4, 2026, conference, but that does not guarantee a decision on that date.
Documents
Docket activity
Case data updated: title
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
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Brief added: Petition
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.