Opinion ID: 176848
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Enumerated Offenses under the ACCA

Text: The government asserts that the language of § 922(u) matches the generic crime of burglary and therefore qualifies as a violent offense under the ACCA. This court defines the key elements of generic burglary as the “unlawful or unprivileged entry into, or remaining in” the premises “with intent to commit a crime.” 15 14 United States v. Hughes, 602 F.3d 669, 674 (5th Cir. 2010). 15 United States v. Ortega-Gonzaga, 490 F.3d 393, 395 (5th Cir. 2007). The Supreme Court defined burglary for the purposes of the ACCA similarly: [A] person has been convicted of burglary for the purposes of a § 924(e) enhancement if he is convicted of any crime, regardless of its exact definition or label, having the basic elements of unlawful or unprivileged entry into, or remaining in, a building or structure, with intent to commit a crime. Taylor, 495 U.S. at 599. 6 Case: 09-31138 Document: 00511256291 Page: 7 Date Filed: 10/07/2010 No. 09-31138 To determine whether an offense falls under the ACCA’s enumerated felony of burglary, we employ a “common sense approach.” 16 This involves the application of a three part test to determine whether a particular provision falls within the enumerated offenses. First, we determine the crime’s generic, contemporary, ordinary meaning. Second, we distill the definitions to identify the crime’s basic elements. Third, we compare the generic definition to the statute governing the prior conviction.17 If the statute follows the generic definition, has only minor variations, or is narrower than the generic definition, the sentence may be enhanced.18 Schmidt raises the strong point that a § 922(u) firearm theft does not require that the entry into or presence inside the premises be unlawful or unprivileged. Although Schmidt did actually break into the premises, for the purposes of identifying whether a violation of § 922(u) is a burglary enumerated in the ACCA, only the elements of the offense, and not the specific conduct of the defendant, should be considered. And Schmidt is correct that, under the terms of § 922(u), unlawful entry or presence is not required. In contrast, the generic definition of burglary always requires an element of unlawful or unprivileged entry or presence. Although theft of firearms from a licensed dealer does have much in common with burglary, such theft ultimately lacks the element of unlawful or unprivileged entry that would make it identical to burglary. Therefore, § 922(u) does not qualify as a violent felony under the enumeratedcrimes prong of the ACCA.