Justices Probe Proof Burden in ‘Pill Mill’ Prosecutions (1)

Lawyers for doctors accused of operating like drug dealers sparred with the Justice Department at the Supreme Court in a case that could affect medical practice nationwide.

Hearing argument Tuesday against the backdrop of the opioid crisis, the high court sought to settle what burden of proof the government has when it seeks to lock doctors up for prescribing controlled substances.

Justices questioned whether the government’s burden is high enough in cases where defendants face stiff prison terms while also probing how far courts should go to entertain doctors’ idiosyncratic practices and beliefs.

However the court rules in its decision, ...