In a recent set of decisions, the Supreme Court has chosen to review a total of four cases as part of the 2024-25 proceedings. Among these are some highly anticipated cases pertaining to the interpretation of federal racketeering laws and the applicability of the “benefit of the doubt” rule in relation to veterans’ law.
One of the intriguing cases on the list is Medical Marijuana v. Horn. The case documents the ordeal of a commercial truck driver, Douglas Horn, who failed a drug test resulting in the loss of his job, insurance, and pension benefits. The failed result was due to the use of a product which he believed was devoid of THC – the psychoactive component of marijuana. This belief was based on information from the manufacturers, represented by Medical Marijuana Inc.
Following the revelation that the product did contain THC, Horn filed a lawsuit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The premise of his claim was that the makers of the product had engaged in fraudulent practices that resulted in damages to his business or property. Horn’s RICO claim, which was initially dismissed, was approved for review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit and now awaits the Supreme Court’s deliberation.
Another noteworthy case is Bufkin v. McDonough, where the Supreme Court will focus on the “benefit of the doubt” rule as it applies to veterans’ law. This rule favors veterans when undecidable issues involve veterans’ law. The Supreme Court has been tasked to determine whether the Veterans Court is mandated to only review factual findings of the Veterans Administration or if it needs to conduct a more exhaustive review that includes whether the veteran was indeed given the “benefit of the doubt”.
Alongside these two cases, the Supreme Court has also granted review for Bouarfa v. Mayorkas, a case on immigrant visa petitions; and Royal Canin U.S.A. v. Wullschleger, centered on the designation of specialized pet food as misleading.
It is likely that oral arguments for these cases are set to occur in October. The justices are due to convene for their next regular conference on Thursday, May 9, with orders anticipated to emerge by Monday, May 13.
An in-depth report on these cases can be found in this original publication on Amy Howe’s blog.