WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in “Fernandez v. United States” Wednesday, a case that weighs two different means for prisoners to get a reduction in sentence and asks if crossover is possible.

Two legal terms were at the center of today’s arguments: Compassionate Release, which relies on “extraordinary and compelling reasons” to grant a prisoner an early end to their sentence; and Habeas Corpus, a legal writ giving prisoners the right to challenge the validity of their sentence based on evidence.

The big question now before justices is whether part of those “compelling reasons” to allow for Compassionate Release can include circumstances that would also fall under Habeas Corpus, or whether there are limitations on what a judge can consider compelling circ

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