Supreme Court Rules for Doctors on ‘Pill Mill’ Prosecution Proof (1)

The US Supreme Court sided with doctors seeking a higher burden of proof in prosecutions for distributing controlled substances like opioids.

In a unanimous decision on Monday, the justices rejected the government’s attempt to make it easier to convict physicians it alleged acted more like drug dealers in prescribing pain killers.

The ruling stemmed from two separate cases prosecuted under the federal Controlled Substances Act for unlawfully prescribing opioids and other controlled substances. Registered professionals are exempt if they prescribe drugs for legitimate medical purposes in the usual course of practice.

The justices vacated the appeals court decisions affirming the ...