Plain-English summary
Court reverses conviction over warrantless home entry and limits ACCA 'occasions' interpretation
The Court reversed William Wooden’s conviction, holding the warrantless entry and search of his home violated the Fourth Amendment. The Court also addressed how to read the phrase "committed on occasions" in the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA), narrowing how prior offenses are counted.
Why this matters
The decision reinforces Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless entries into homes and limits how courts may count prior convictions under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which can determine harsher federal sentences. Together, those rulings affect when evidence obtained at a home can be used and who faces enhanced sentencing under ACCA.
Who may feel it
- People arrested at or following law enforcement entry into a home without a warrant
- Defendants facing sentence enhancements under the Armed Career Criminal Act
- Criminal defense lawyers and federal prosecutors
- Lower federal courts that apply ACCA and Fourth Amendment rules
Key questions
- Did law enforcement’s warrantless entry and search of Wooden’s home violate the Fourth Amendment?