United States Supreme Court

In this case, petitioner fled police after a botched bank robbery, entered the home of a 79-year-old lady through an unlocked door, guided the lady through the hallway to a room, where she suffered a fatal heart attack. Petitioner was convicted of violating 18 U.S.C. section 2113(e), which establishes enhanced penalties for anyone who "forces a person to accompany him" in the court of committing or fleeing from a bank robbery. Judgment of the Fourth Circuit finding that petitioner's movement with the deceased qualified as forced accompaniment is affirmed, where a bank robber forces a person to accompany him, for purposes of section 2113(e), when he forces that person to go somewhere with him, even if the movement occurs entirely within a single building or over a short distance.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/13/2015
• Published 01/13/2015

Judges

• Scalia

Court

• United States Supreme Court

Counsel