Supreme Court Hears Debate on Safety Valve Provision in First Step Act
- The Supreme Court heard a case regarding the interpretation of the First Step Act's safety valve provision, which allows judges to disregard mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent drug offenders.
- The provision requires defendants meet three criteria to be eligible for a shorter sentence, and the Court is deciding if they must meet all three.
- The case involves Mark E. Pulsifer, who faced a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence for selling methamphetamine.
- The Court's ruling will impact thousands currently in prison on mandatory minimums and their families.
- The First Step Act aims to reduce prison sentences for nonviolent drug crimes.
The Messenger 
