Robinson v. California

The Court decided to reverse the lower courts' rulings, holding that the sentence violated Robinson's Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. The Court reasoned that Robinson's sentence was like imprisoning people for having a mental illness, a venereal disease, or leprosy and maintained that drug laws should strive to prevent the sale, use, and possession of illegal drugs, but not punish people with the status of having a drug addiction.