Begay v. United States (2007)
- Docket
- 06-11543
- Decided
- 2007-01-01
Summary
Question: Does driving while intoxicated qualify as a violent felony for purposes of the federal career criminal law? Conclusion: In a 6-3 vote, the Court held that Begay's DWI convictions did not qualify as "violent felonies" because they were too different from the violent felony examples provided by Congress in the Armed Career Criminal Act (such as burglary, arson and extortion). Therefore, Begay should not have been subject to the mandatory sentencing hike. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion with Justice Antonin Scalia concurring and Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and David Souter, dissenting