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Ruan v. United States

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Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
20-1410 11th Cir. Mar 1, 2022 Jun 27, 2022 9-0 Breyer OT 2021

Holding: For the crime of prescribing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice in violation of 21 U.S.C. " 841, the mens rea "knowingly or intentionally" applies to the statute"s "except as authorized" clause.

Judgment: Vacated and remanded, 9-0, in an opinion by Justice Breyer on June 27, 2022. Justice Alito filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Thomas joined and in which Justice Barrett joined as to Parts I-A, I-B, and II.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
04/05/2021Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 7, 2021)
04/27/2021Motion to extend the time to file a response from May 7, 2021 to June 7, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
04/28/2021Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including June 7, 2021.
05/07/2021Brief amici curiae of Professors of Health Law and Policy filed.
05/27/2021Motion to extend the time to file a response from June 7, 2021 to July 7, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
05/28/2021Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including July 7, 2021.
07/07/2021Brief of respondent United States of America in opposition filed. VIDED.
07/20/2021Reply of petitioner Xiulu Ruan filed. (Distributed)
07/21/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/27/2021.
10/04/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/8/2021.
10/12/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/15/2021.
10/25/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/29/2021.
11/01/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/5/2021.
11/05/2021Petition GRANTED. The petition for a writ of certiorari in No. 21-5261 is granted. The cases are consolidated, and a total of one hour is allotted for oral argument.
11/05/2021Because the Court has consolidated these cases for briefing and oral argument, future filings and activity in the cases will now be reflected on the docket of No. 20-1410. Subsequent filings in these cases must therefore be submitted through the electronic filing system in No. 20-1410. Each document submitted in connection with one or more of these cases must include on its cover the case number and caption for each case in which the filing is intended to be submitted. Where a filing is submitted in fewer than all of the cases, the docket entry will reflect the case number(s) in which the filing is submitted; a document filed in all of the consolidated cases will be noted as "VIDED."
12/08/2021Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Xiulu Ruan
12/17/2021ARGUMENT SET FOR Tuesday, March 1, 2022. VIDED.
12/17/2021Brief amicus curiae of Pacific Legal Foundation filed (in 20-1410).
12/20/2021Brief of petitioner Xiulu Ruan filed (in 20-1410).
12/20/2021Joint appendix filed (in 20-1410). (Statement of costs filed)
12/20/2021Joint appendix filed (in 21-5261). (Statement of costs filed)
12/20/2021Brief of petitioner Shakeel Kahn filed (in 21-5261).
12/21/2021Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 11th Circuit.
12/21/2021Brief amicus curiae of Compassion & Choices filed. VIDED.
12/22/2021The record from the U.S.C.A 11th Circuit is electronic and located on Pacer
12/23/2021Brief amici curiae of Professors of Health Law and Policy filed (in 20-1410).
12/27/2021Amicus brief of Physicians Against Abuse not accepted for filing. (Corrected version submitted - February 15, 2022).
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of Physicians Against Abuse filed (in 20-1410) (1/15/2022). (Distributed)
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of Due Process Institute filed (in 20-1410).
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of Cato Institute filed (in 20-1410).
12/27/2021Brief amici curiae of Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and Jeffrey A. Singer, M.D. filed (in 20-1410).
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of National Pain Advocacy Center filed. VIDED.
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Chain Drug Stores in support of neither party filed. VIDED.
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America in support of neither party filed. VIDED.
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed. VIDED.
12/27/2021Brief amicus curiae of Anmol Singh Kamra filed. VIDED.
12/27/2021Brief amici curiae of Stephen J. Ziegler, et al. filed (in 20-1410).
01/18/2022CIRCULATED
01/19/2022Brief of respondent United States filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
01/24/2022Motion for divided argument filed by petitioners. VIDED.
02/17/2022Reply of petitioner Shakeel Kahn filed (in 21-5261). (Distributed)
02/18/2022Motion for divided argument filed by petitioners GRANTED, and the time is divided as follows: 15 minutes for petitioner in in No. 20-1410 and 15 minutes for petitioner in No. 21-5261. VIDED.
02/18/2022Reply of petitioner Xiulu Ruan filed (in 20-1410). (Distributed)
03/01/2022Argued. For petitioner in 20-1410: Lawrence S. Robbins, Washington, D. C. For petitioner in 21-5261: Beau B. Brindley, Chicago, Ill. For respondent: Eric J. Feigin, Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. VIDED.
06/27/2022Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Breyer, J. delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-1410_1an2.pdf'>opinion</a> of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, JJ., joined. Alito, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Thomas, J., joined, and in which Barrett, J., joined as to Parts I"A, I"B, and II. VIDED.
07/29/2022JUDGMENT ISSUED