Supreme Court Hands Down Major 9-0 Decision – They Just Unanimously Stood Up for Doctors Over the Government

The Supreme Court is not finished handing down major decisions. As this session wraps up, they are on a roll, delivering important rulings for the American people.

The latest case addresses doctors who were accused of over-prescribing medications. In a 9-0 decision, the court sided with the doctors.

From The Hill:

The Supreme Court on Monday sided with two doctors challenging their convictions on drug distribution charges for over-prescribing opioid medications…

Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the decision for the majority, ruling that in cases where someone who is authorized to prescribe medication is being prosecuted under the Controlled Substances Act, prosecutors must prove “beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knowingly or intentionally acted in an unauthorized manner.”

It appears federal prosecutors were going after two doctors, using the Controlled Substances Act to take them down.

Both these doctors challenged these charges since these convictions would have ruined their careers (and perhaps put them in jail).

The court ruled 9-0 that doctors can only be charged with violations of the CSA if they “knowingly” acted in an “unauthorized manner.”

This decision provides protections against doctors from lawsuits and other charges.

If doctors feared constant attacks from the federal government, they might be hesitant to even treat a patient.

In the long run, we might end up with fewer people entering the profession, out of fear of getting sued or arrested.

But this ruling sets limits on how the government can prosecute a doctor. It appears that the court is saying a doctor can’t get in trouble if they treated a patient to the best of their ability.

This ruling is critical, especially in this day and age. Anyone with a smartphone thinks they know better than their doctor.

And Biden-appointed prosecutors in the DOJ might be overeager to prosecute a doctor, in yet more examples of government overreach.

This ruling could push back the endless tide of attacks against medical professionals and allow them to do what they do best: treat the sick.

Source: The Hill