On Friday, the Supreme Court determined that many low-level drug offenders are not entitled to receive reduced sentences under a legislative reform from the Trump administration aimed at improving criminal justice. The legislation in question, the 2018 First Step Act, was intended to lessen the sentences of nonviolent, minor drug offenders who plead guilty and assist the authorities.
The case at the center of this legal debate involved Mark Pulsifer, an Iowa resident convicted of distributing a significant quantity of methamphetamine. The dispute arose from differing interpretations of the term “and” within a complex section of the First Step Act concerning the safety valve provision, which is designed to avoid mandatory longer sentences for certain offenders.
While some courts interpreted “and” literally, others read it as “or,” affecting the eligibility for sentence reduction. Justice Elena Kagan, representing the majority in a 6-3 decision, sided with a more restrictive interpretation, aligning with the government’s perspective that a defendant must meet all listed criteria to avoid mandatory minimum sentences.
Dissenting, Justice Neil Gorsuch lamented the ruling, recognizing the First Step Act as a crucial piece of legislation for criminal justice reform. He, along with Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor, argued that the decision would prevent numerous federal inmates from potentially receiving lighter sentences.
In the fiscal year 2021 alone, around 6,000 convicted drug traffickers could have been affected by this provision. The law specifies three disqualifying criteria related to an offender’s criminal history, with the stipulation that failing any one of these criteria should lead to the application of mandatory minimum sentences.
Pulsifer’s legal team contended that a defendant should exhibit all three disqualifying factors to be ineligible for a reduced sentence. However, the Supreme Court’s interpretation requires that an offender not meet any of the disqualifying conditions to benefit from the safety valve.
Justice Kagan clarified that the statute essentially acts as a checklist, necessitating that each condition be satisfied for eligibility. Pulsifer, who met two of the three disqualifying conditions, was thus subjected to a mandatory minimum sentence, ultimately receiving 13 1/2 years in prison for various reasons.
Currently 61 years old, Pulsifer is expected to remain incarcerated until 2031. The decision underscores a significant interpretation of the First Step Act, though Congress retains the authority to amend the legislation should it disagree with the Supreme Court’s conclusion.
