Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/14pdf/13-7120_p86b.pdf
Page Number: 18

Cite as:  576 U. S. ____ (2015) 

1 

KENNEDY, J., concurring in judgment 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

_________________ 

No. 13–7120 
_________________ 

SAMUEL JAMES JOHNSON, PETITIONER v. UNITED 
STATES 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 
APPEALS FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT 

[June 26, 2015] 

JUSTICE KENNEDY, concurring in the judgment. 
In my view, and for the reasons well stated by JUSTICE 
ALITO in dissent, the residual clause of the Armed Career 
Criminal  Act  is  not  unconstitutionally  vague  under  the
categorical  approach  or  a  record-based  approach.    On  the 
assumption  that  the  categorical  approach  ought  to  still 
control,  and  for  the  reasons  given  by  JUSTICE  THOMAS  in 
Part I of his opinion concurring in the judgment, Johnson’s
conviction  for  possession  of  a  short-barreled  shotgun  does 
not qualify as a violent felony.

For these reasons, I concur in the judgment.