U.S. Supreme Court opinions: June 27 Monday, June 27, 2022

The United States Supreme Court has issued three new opinions.

In Kennedy v. Bremerton School Dist. the court held that the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect an individual engaging in a personal religious observance from government reprisal; the Constitution neither mandates nor permits the government to suppress such religious expression.

Read the court's opinion at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-418_i425.pdf

In Concepcion v. United States the court held that Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, 132 Stat. 5222, allows district courts to consider intervening changes of law or fact in exercising their discretion to reduce a sentence.

Read the court's opinion at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-1650_3dq3.pdf

In Xiulu Ruan v. United States the court held that for the crime of prescribing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice in violation of 21 U. S. C. §841, the mens rea “knowingly or intentionally” applies to the statute’s “except as authorized” clause.

Read the court's opinion at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-1410_1an2.pdf