Pulsifer v. United States

Decided March 15, 2024. Elena Kagan delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 22-340 · 601 U.S. 124 (2024) · Cited 119 times

Holding

A criminal defendant facing a mandatory minimum sentence is eligible for safety-valve relief under 18 U. S. C. §3553(f)(1) only if the defendant satisfies each of the provision’s three conditions.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Luna Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools · 598 U.S. 142 (2023)
• United States v. Wiltberger · 18 U.S. 76 (1820)
• Gibbons v. Ogden · 22 U.S. 1 (1824)
• Hartford Underwriters Insurance v. Union Planters Bank, N. A. · 530 U.S. 1 (2000)
• Barnhart v. Sigmon Coal Co. · 534 U.S. 438 (2002)
• Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd. v. Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. · 484 U.S. 49 (1987)
• Rodriguez v. United States · 480 U.S. 522 (1987)
• IBP, Inc. v. Alvarez · 546 U.S. 21 (2005)
• Ransom v. FIA Card Services, N. A. · 562 U.S. 61 (2011)
• Gall v. United States · 552 U.S. 38 (2007)
• Rita v. United States · 551 U.S. 338 (2007)
• Rumsfeld v. Padilla · 542 U.S. 426 (2004)
• Russello v. United States · 464 U.S. 16 (1983)
• Mistretta v. United States · 488 U.S. 361 (1989)
• United States v. Lanier · 520 U.S. 259 (1997)
• Bowen v. Georgetown University Hospital · 488 U.S. 204 (1988)
• United States v. Bass · 404 U.S. 336 (1971)
• United States v. Batchelder · 442 U.S. 114 (1979)
• United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co. · 200 U.S. 321 (1906)
• Reiter v. Sonotone Corp. · 442 U.S. 330 (1979)
• Magwood v. Patterson · 561 U.S. 320 (2010)
• Pepper v. United States · 562 U.S. 476 (2011)
• Miles v. Apex Marine Corp. · 498 U.S. 19 (1990)
• Bifulco v. United States · 447 U.S. 381 (1980)
• Crandon v. United States · 494 U.S. 152 (1990)
• Ladner v. United States · 358 U.S. 169 (1958)
• McBoyle v. United States · 283 U.S. 25 (1931)
• City of Chicago v. Environmental Defense Fund · 511 U.S. 328 (1994)
• Dubin v. United States · 599 U.S. 110 (2023)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Feliciano v. Department Of Transportation · 605 U.S. 38 (2025)
• Campos-Chaves v. Garland · 602 U.S. 447 (2024)
• Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc. · 606 U.S. 748 (2025)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Elena Kagan’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2024). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).