# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 9 -1 0 82

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Un i t ed St at es o f Am eri ca

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i n t i

f f - Ap pel l ee

v

.

St an ley W i ll i am Si l v a

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Def

en da n t - Ap pel l an t

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Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e W es t ern Di s t ri ct o f M i s s o u ri - Sp ri n g fi el d

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Su b m i t t ed : No v em

b er 1 2 , 2 0 1 9
Fi l ed : Decem

b er 1 3 , 2 0 1 9

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Befo re SHEPHERD, GRASZ, an d KOBES, Ci rcu i t J u d g es

.

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KOBES, Ci rcu i t J u dg e.

St an ley W i l l i am Si l v a p l ead ed g u i l t y t o p o s s es s io n o f a fi rearm as a co n v i ct ed

fel o n i n v i o l at i o n of 1 8 U .S.C. § 9 2 2 (g )(1 ). Th e d i s t ri ct co u rt 1 fo u n d h e was a career

1 Th e Ho n o rab l e Ro s ean n A. Ket ch m ark , Un i ted St at es Di st ri ct J u d g e fo r
t h e W es t ern Di s t ri ct o f M i s s o u ri

.o ffen d er u n d er t h e A rm ed Career Cri m i n al Act

, 18 U.S.C. § 9 2 4 (e), b ecau se h e h ad

t wo s t at e co nv ict i o n s fo r s eri o us d ru g o ffen s es an d a s t at e b u rg l ary co nv i ct i o n t h at

was a v i ol en t fel o n y

. He w as s en t en ced t o 1 5 y ears i n p ri s o n (t h e m i n i m u m s en t en ce

fo r a career offen d er) fo l l o wed b y fi v e ye a r s o f su p erv i sed rel eas e. He ap p eal s , ch al l en g i n g th e d is t ri ct co u rt ’ s fi n d i n g t h at h i s b u rg lary co n v ict i o n w as u n d er M i s s

. Co d e § 9 7 -1 7 -2 3 an d t herefo re an ACCA p red icat e o ffen s e. W e affi rm

.

A “ v i o l en t fel o n y ” u n d er t h e ACC A i n cl ud es an y s tat e o r fed eral fel o n y t h at

“ i s b urg l ary , ars o n, o r ex t o rt i o n .” 1 8 U.S.C. § 9 24 (e)(2 )(B)(i i ). To d eci d e wh et h er

a s t at e co nv i ct i o n q u al i fi es as g en eri c bu rg l ary , co u rt s ap p l y t h e cat eg ori cal ap p ro ach

, l o o k i n g “ o n l y t o t h e fa c t o f co n v i ct i o n an d th e s t at u t ory d efi n i ti o n o f th e p ri o r

o ffen s e.” Un i t ed S t at es v. S h o ckl ey , 8 16 F.3 d 10 5 8

, 1 06 2 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 6 ). H o wev er,
b efo re ap p l y i n g t h e cat eg o ri cal ap p ro ach

, t h e d i st ri ct co u rt m u s t d et erm i n e t h e s t at u t e

o f co n v i ct i on

. S

ee Un i t ed S t a t es v. Twi

g g s , 6 7 8 F.3 d 6 71

, 6 7 4 (8 th Ci r. 2 0 12 ). Th i s

i s a fact u al fi n di n g t h at we rev i ew fo r cl ear erro r. Id

.

Th ere are t wo p o s si b le s t at u t es of co n vi ct io n fo r S i l v a’ s b u rg l ary o ffen s e (cal led “ Bu rg l ary & Larcen y ” o n t h e ju d g m e n t a n d th e “ n o t i ce o f cri m i n al

d i s p o s i t i on ” rev i ewed b y t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt ). 2 On e, Mi s s. Co d e § 9 7 -1 7

- 2 3

, d efi n es
b u rg lary as “ b reak i n g an d en t eri n g th e d wel l i n g h o u s e o r i n n er d oo r o f s u ch d wel l i n g

h o u s e o f an o t h er

. . . wi t h i n t en t t o co m m i t s o m e cri m e t h erei n ,” an d can res u l t i n u p

t o 2 5 y ears i n p ri s o n

. Th e o t h er, M i s s . Co d e § 9 7 -1 7 -3 3 (1 ), d efi n es b u rg l ary as t h e
b reak i n g an d en t eri n g o f s tru ct u res o t h er t h an a d wel l i n g h o u s e, an d can b e p u n i s h ed

b y u p to s ev en y ears i n p ri s on

. Th e p art i es ag ree t h at § 9 7 -1 7 -2 3 d es cri b es g en eri c
b u rg lary wh i l e § 9 7 -1 7 -3 3(1 ) i s o v erb ro ad an d n o t an ACCA p red i cat e o ffen s e.

Th e d i s t ri ct co urt co n si d ered t h ree do cu m en t s at t es t i n g t o Si l v a’ s co n v i ct i o n

t o d e t e r m i n e th at h e h ad b een co n v i ct ed u n d er § 9 7 -1 7-2 3

. Fi rs t

, a Lee Co u n t y

2 M i s s i s s i pp i d oes n o t h av e a cri m e cal l ed “ Bu rg l ary & Larcen y .”

-2

-Ci rcu i t Co u rt Ord er, d at ed Feb r u a r y 1 5

, 2 0 0 0

, en t eri n g j u d gm en t ag ai n s t h i m o n a

g u i l t y p l ea o f “ Bu rg l ary & Larcen y ,” an d “ sen t en c[i n g hi m ] t o serv e a t erm o f t wen t y

fi ve (2 5 ) y ears ” i n pri so n , su s p en d i n g 1 5 y ears

. Seco nd

, an i n d i ct m en t

, d at ed Oct o b er

2 5

, 1 99 9

, to wh i ch h e p l ead ed “ g u i l t y as ch arg ed ,” ch arg i n g h i m wi t h “ wi l l fu l l y , fel o n i o u s l y an d b u rg l ari o u sl y break [i n g ] an d en t er[i n g ] a cert ai n d wel l in g

. . . wi th

t h e fel on i o u s an d b u rg l ari o u s i n t en t t o t ak e, s t eal , an d carry away [] g o o ds , ch at tel s

an d p ers o n al p ro p ert y

. . . .” Th i rd

, a n o t i ce o f cri m i n al d i s p o s i t i o n t o t h e M is s i s s i p pi
Dep art m en t o f Co rrect i o n s , d at ed Feb ru ary 24

, 2 0 0 0

, reco rd i n g a s i n g l e co n v i ct i o n

fo r “ Bu rg l ary

& Larcen y .” No d o cu m en t referen ces t h e s t at u t e o f co n v i ct i on

.

Th e d i s t ri ct co urt d i d n o t co m m i t cl ear erro r in d eci di n g th at Si l v a was

co n vi ct ed fo r v i o l at i n g § 9 7 -1 7 -2 3

. Th e i n di ct m en t t rack s t h e l an gu ag e of t hat s t at u t e
b y des cri b i n g h is cri m e as break i n g i n t o a d wel li n g , n o t on e o f t h e o t h er st ru ct u res

l i st ed i n § 9 7 -1 7 -3 3 (1 ) an d t h e j u d g m en t n ot es t h at h e p l ead ed “ g u i l t y as ch arg ed ” in

t h e i n d i ct m en t . Pl u s , h i s 2 5 -y ear s en t en ce i s o nl y p o s s i b l e u n der § 9 7 -1 7 -2 3

.

Al t h ou g h Si l v a has n o t o ffered an y o t her ex p l an at i o n fo r h i s co n v ict i o n an d

s en t en ce, h e arg u es ag ai n s t “ reas o n in g b ack w a r d ” i n t h i s way

. Sp eci fi cal l y , Si l v a
cl ai m s t h at d et erm i n i n g t h e s t at u t e o f co n vi ct i o n bas ed o n t h e s en t en ce an d l an g u ag e

i n t h e i n d i ct m en t an d p l ea do es n o t co m p o rt wi t h “ ‘ Ta

yl o r ’ s d em an d fo r cert ai n t y ’

wh en d et erm i n i ng wh et h er a d efen d an t was co n v i ct ed of a g en eri c o ffen s e.” Ma t h i s

v. U n i t ed S t a t es , 1 3 6 S. Ct

. 2 2 4 3

, 2 2 5 7 (2 0 1 6 ) (q u o t i n g Sh ep ar d v. Un i t ed S t a t es , 5 4 4

U.S. 1 3, 2 1 (2 0 0 5 )). Ho wev er, t h e “ dem an d fo r cert ai n t y ” refers t o o u r n eed t o b e

cert ai n , wh en ap p l y i n g th e m o d i fi ed cat eg o ri cal ap p ro ach

, t h at a g i v e n co n v i ct i o n

rep res en t s a fi n d i n g t h at a d efen d an t co m m i t t ed t h e g en eri c v ers io n of a cri m e. Th e

m o di fi ed cat eg o ri cal ap p ro ach i s s ep arat e fro m t he fact u al i n q u i ry i n t o t h e st at u t o ry
b as i s o f a co nv i ct i o n t hat i s at i s s u e h ere. Twi g g s , 6 7 8 F.3 d at 6 76 . In t h i s co n t ex t

,

we affi rm i f th e d i s t ri ct co u rt d i d n o t cl earl y err, ev en t h ou g h reco rd s m ay n ot

es t ab l i s h t h e s t at u t e o f co n v i ct io n “ wi t h co m p let e cl ari t y .” Id

. at 6 7 5

.

-3

-T h e d o c u m en ts rev i ewed b y t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt s h o w t h at Si l v a b ro k e i n t o a

d wel l i n g an d co m

m i tt ed t h e cri m e o f l arcen y

. T h at co n d u ct i s cri m in al i zed b y M i s s

. Co d e § 97 -1 7 -2 3

. Th e el em en t s o f § 9 7 -1 7 -2 3 des cri b e t h e g e n e r i c o ffen s e o f

b u rg lary

. Th erefo re, t he d i s t ri ct co u rt co rrect l y cl as s i fi ed Si l v a as a career o ffen d er

an d h i s s en t en ce i s affi rm ed

.

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