Justices side with doctors convicted in pain pill schemes

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled for doctors who face criminal charges for overprescribing powerful pain medication, in a case arising from the opioid addiction crisis. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court Monday that prosecutors must prove that doctors knew they were illegally prescribing powerful pain drugs in violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act. The ruling came as the U.S. sees record numbers of drug overdose deaths, many from the highly lethal opioid fentanyl. But the justices did not throw out the convictions of two doctors whose appeal was heard in February. Instead, it ordered federal appeals courts to take a new look at their cases.