Pulsifer v. United States
2/17/202651 min
What does “and” REALLY mean?
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5-4 is presented by Prologue Projects. This episode was produced by Alli Rodgers. Leon Neyfakh provides editorial support. Our website was designed by Peter Murphy. Our artwork is by Teddy Blanks at Chips NY, and our theme song is by Spatial Relations. Transcriptions of each episode are available at fivefourpod.com
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJohn Roberts· Soundbite0:00
We will hear argument this morning in case 22340, Pulsifer versus United States.
Leon Neyfakh0:05
[upbeat music] Hey, everyone. This is Leon from Prologue Projects. On this week's episode of 5 To 4, Peter, Rhiannon, and Michael are talking about Pulsifer v. United States, a case about the First Step Act, a 2018 criminal justice reform package passed during Trump's first term.
John Roberts· Soundbite0:25
Criminal justice reform is an incredible, beyond bipartisan signing. We'll be doing that in just a moment.
Leon Neyfakh0:35
One of the major reforms of the First Step Act addressed the issue of mandatory minimum sentences by allowing certain defendants to be sentenced according to points-based federal guidelines instead. This case, in which a defendant sought to reduce his prison sentence in accordance with the new rules, is about how that points-based system works and when it does and doesn't apply. As you'll hear, the case comes down to a question that at first glance seems nonsensical. Does "and" mean and, or does "and" mean or? The court came up with a surprising answer. This is 5 To 4, a podcast about how much the Supreme Court and/or mandatory minimums suck.
Peter Shamshiri· Host1:14
Welcome to 5 To 4, where we dissect and analyze the Supreme Court cases that have left our civil rights down bad like a Norwegian biathlete. I'm Peter.