In a disappointing decision for many federal prison inmates, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling on Friday that denied a convicted drug dealer’s request for a shorter sentence under a 2018 law.
In a rare split decision that saw a 6-3 divide along ideological lines, the court ruled that Mark Pulsifer, who admitted to distributing methamphetamines in 2020, would not be eligible for the benefits of the First Step Act, a major sentencing reform law.
Pulsifer’s case revolved around determining whether he would be subjected to a mandatory 15-year sentence or if he would qualify for a “safety valve” provision. This provision outlines specific circumstances in which a lesser sentence can be given to nonviolent, low-level drug dealers.
Justice Elena Kagan, a liberal member of the court, expressed the opinion that Pulsifer had failed to meet the necessary requirements. Five of the court’s six conservatives joined her in the majority decision.
The provision in question outlines a set of criteria for issuing sentences that are below the mandatory minimums. The court determined that Pulsifer must fulfill all of the conditions, dismissing his claim that he could fulfill some of them and still receive relief. The decision was based, in part, on the court’s interpretation of the term “and.”
According to Kagan, Congress only provided safety-valve relief to certain defendants, rather than extending it to all.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, a conservative, dissented from the majority opinion. He was joined in his dissent by the two liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Gorsuch expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s significant restriction on the purpose of the First Step Act.
According to the author, adopting the government’s preferred interpretation would mean denying thousands of people in the federal justice system the opportunity for an individualized sentence. In his view, the First Step Act does not offer any hope for these individuals.
Lawrence Hurley is the journalist responsible for covering the Supreme Court for NBC News.
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