Sharing drugs as distribution
Robert Vincent Harris v. United States
In brief
- Where it stands
- Dismissed
Petition denied.
- What it’s about
- Robert Vincent Harris asked whether federal law treats one addict’s allowing another to use part of a personal-use drug supply as unlawful distribution. The Court refused to hear his case (denied review), so it did not decide that question.
- Who it affects
- The denial ended Harris’s request for Supreme Court review but did not answer whether the described conduct violates federal law.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The case came to the Supreme Court from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Question presented
Does an unlawful distribution of a controlled substance under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) include the sharing of a controlled substance between addicts, who are not in the chain of distribution, when there is no actual delivery of the controlled substance and when the Defendant merely allows a third party to ingest some of a personal use quantity of a controlled substance?
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
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Brief added: Petition
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.