United States Ninth Circuit

In a case interpreting the types of documents upon which a court can rely in determining sentencing enhancement under the modified categorical approach, an enhanced sentence is affirmed where: 1) to establish that defendant's prior burglary conviction was for burgling a dwelling, and thus a crime of violence, the district court relied on the state court clerk's minute order; and 2) the list of documents in Shepard v. US, 544 U.S. 13 (2005) simply illustrates the documents upon which a court can rely under the modified categorical approach, and does not exclude reliance on a court clerk's minute order.

Appellate Information

• Argued 06/25/2008
• Decided 10/28/2008
• Published 10/28/2008

Judges

• Before:  ALEX KOZINSKI, Chief Judge, STEPHEN REINHARDT, PAMELA ANN RYMER, ANDREW J. KLEINFELD, HAWKINS, SIDNEY R. THOMAS, SUSAN P. GRABER, W. FLETCHER, RONALD M. GOULD, RICHARD C. TALLMAN, and MILAN D. SMITH, JR., Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Steven F. Hubachek, Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc., San Diego, CA, for the amicus curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Gail Ivens, Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles, CA, for the defendant-appellant., Anne C. Gannon, Assistant United States Attorney, Santa Ana, CA, and Michael J. Raphael, Assistant United States Attorney, Los Angeles, CA, for the plaintiff-appellee.