The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from a convicted methamphetamine distributor who argues that he was improperly denied relief under the Trump-era First Step Act.
The court granted the petition in an unsigned order on Feb. 27. No justices dissented from the order.
The First Step Act, a bipartisan measure approved by Congress and signed by then-President Donald Trump in 2018, reformed the criminal justice system to an extent and made it easier for the courts to reduce penalties for nonviolent drug offenders.
At the time he signed the First Step Act, Trump said it constituted “an incredible moment” for “criminal justice reform.” He singled out the sentencing reforms included in it, saying “Americans from across the political spectrum can unite around prison reform legislation that will reduce crime while giving our fellow citizens a chance at redemption, so if something happens and they make a mistake, they get a second chance at life.”…