Supreme Court upholds cocaine sentence

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a 10-year prison sentence for cocaine possession, rejecting a claim that harsh penalties in federal law apply only to crack cocaine.

The court said Thursday that the provision of federal law that calls for longer prison terms for crack cocaine possession also includes other forms of "cocaine base, " coca leaves and paste.

Federal appeals courts have been split on this issue, which the court resolved on Thursday in a favor of a more inclusive reading of the law.