Supreme Court of the United States
Curtis Darnell Johnson v. United States
March 2, 2010176 L. Ed. 2d 1
Summary
Justice Alito dissents, arguing that the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) definition of 'violent felony' encompasses common-law battery, which includes non-violent offensive touching. He contends that because Congress used traditional statutory language, it intended to adopt well-known common-law meanings for terms like 'physical force'. He disagrees with the majority's conclusion that ACCA requires 'violent force' and warns of untoward consequences for federal statutes regarding domestic violence and immigration.