- Term
- 2023-2024
Pulsifer v. U.S.
In Pulsifer v. United States, the Supreme Court considered who is eligible, through the First Step Act, for exemption from mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. In 2018, Congress amended the federal sentencing statute to make more Americans eligible for less harsh sentences if they satisfy certain criteria, including the nature of their prior offenses and criminal history. In this case, the Court reviewed whether one must meet all of the First Step Act’s listed conditions for one’s sentence to be diminished, or whether one must just meet one of the listed conditions.
On March 15, 2024, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that one must meet all of the First Step Act’s listed conditions to be eligible for exemption from a mandatory minimum sentence. Justices Sotomayor, Gorsuch, and Jackson dissented.
