United States v. Norman Spencer

Good Law
580 F. App'x 619
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitJune 26, 201413-30216California244 words

Opinion

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

Norman Bruce Spencer appeals from the district court’s judgment and challenges the district court’s decision to sentence him under the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”), 18 U.S.C. § 924 (e), to 188 months, following his guilty-plea conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922 (g)(1). We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm.

Spencer contends that ACCA’s residual clause, 18 U.S.C. § 924 (e)(2)(B)(ii), is unconstitutionally vague as applied to his pri- or conviction for attempted injury to a child. We review de novo whether a statute is unconstitutionally vague. See United States v. Spencer, 724 F.3d 1133 , 1136 n. 2 (9th Cir.2013). As Spencer acknowledges, his argument is foreclosed. See id. at 1135-36 , 1145-46 (citing Sykes v. United States, — U.S.-,-, 131 S.Ct. 2267, 2277 , 180 L.Ed.2d 60 (2011) and James v. United States, 550 U.S. 192 , 210 n. 6, 127 S.Ct. 1586 , 167 L.Ed.2d 532 (2007)). Because the Supreme Court has concluded that the residual clause is not unconstitutionally vague, see id., we decline to apply the rule of lenity or the doctrine of constitutional avoidance. See United States v. Shill,…

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