April 15, 2021
For many years, purportedly to preserve its renowned sense of collegiality, the Second Circuit heard fewer cases en banc than any other circuit court. On March 2, 2021, however, the Second Circuit issued an en banc opinion that could prove to be a harbinger of a new era featuring more en bancs and potentially less collegiality. In United States v. Scott, the en banc Second Circuit overturned a prior panel decision and held that New York first-degree manslaughter is a categorial crime of violence under the federal Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”), which can trigger significant mandatory minimum sentences. Others have summarized the opinion elsewhere, and the holding itself is not particularly surprising. What is surprising, however, is the unusually harsh language that jumps out at a handful of moments in the majority and dissenting opinions.