Supreme Court Rules Against Reduced Sentences for Low-Level Drug Dealers

In a significant decision, the Supreme Court has determined that thousands of low-level drug dealers are ineligible for shortened prison terms under the First Step Act.

The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision affects nearly 6,000 people convicted of drug trafficking in 2021, who may have been eligible for reduced sentences under the First Step Act.
The ruling resolves a dispute over the interpretation of the word 'and' in the law's safety valve provision, which is meant to spare low-level, nonviolent drug dealers from longer mandatory sentences.
Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the majority, stated that a defendant must meet all the conditions listed in the provision to be eligible for a reduced sentence.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, in dissent, lamented that the decision denies thousands in the federal criminal justice system a chance at a reduced sentence, calling the First Step Act 'the most significant criminal-justice reform bill in a generation.'
Congress has the power to amend the law if it disagrees with the Supreme Court's interpretation.