Pulsifer v. United States — SCOTUS (argued October 2, 2023)
The Supreme Court considers how the word and works in a federal sentencing law. The law's safety valve lets a qualifying drug defendant receive a sentence below an otherwise mandatory minimum. Mark Pulsifer says its three criminal-history conditions form a package, so a defendant is barred only if all three apply. The United States says each condition is a separate barrier. The Eighth Circuit adopted the government's reading. The Supreme Court later affirmed that reading, six to three.
Pulsifer v. United States (No. 22-340) — Supreme Court of the United States, argued October 2, 2023.
Sources
Argument audio — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/media/audio/mp3files/22-340.mp3
Argument transcript — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2023/22-340_hhdp.pdf
Case docket — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-340.html
Brief for Mark Pulsifer:https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-340/267269/20230519142156758_Pulsifer%20v.%20United%20States%20Merits%20Brief%20FILE.pdf
Brief for the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-340/272805/20230724211315733_22-340bsUnitedStates.pdf
Decision — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-340_p86a.pdf
- 0:00Introduction
- 0:41Shay Dvoretzky
- 2:54Surplusage Canon
- 7:56Corpus Linguistics
- 53:02Frederick Liu