Joseph Peter Clarke, Appellants v. United States of America, Appellee

Summary

The court answered the certified question in the negative, holding that a guilty plea to a felony followed by withheld adjudication does not constitute a conviction for purposes of Florida's felon-in-possession statute. It reasoned that conviction ordinarily requires an adjudication of guilt, and that the statute's purpose of preventing firearm possession by dangerous or likely-to-reoffend persons is not served when adjudication was withheld based on a finding that the defendant was unlikely to reoffend. The court returned the case to the certifying federal court.