United States Ninth Circuit

Although statutory rape qualifies as a per se "crime of violence" under the Sentencing Guidelines, California Penal Code section 261.5(c), which sets the age of consent at eighteen, is overly inclusive, exceeding the common and accepted definition of statutory rape, and so cannot be categorically applied to enhance a sentence under U.S.S.G. section 2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(ii).

Appellate Information

• Argued 05/15/2007
• Decided 10/22/2007
• Published 10/22/2007

Judges

• BETTY B. FLETCHER, Circuit Judge:, Before:  B. FLETCHER, EUGENE E. SILER, and MICHAEL D. HAWKINS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Franny Forsman, Federal Public Defender, Michael K. Powell (argued), Assistant Public Defender, Reno, NV, for the defendant-appellant., Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney, Brian L. Sullivan, Robert A. Bork (argued) Assistant United States Attorneys, and Robert L. Ellman, Appellate Chief, Reno, NV, for the plaintiff-appellee.