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Criminal Practice
Criminal Practice Law360 provides timely news and analysis on criminal law and enforcement across U.S. jurisdictions. Coverage includes major prosecutions, sentencing trends, constitutional challenges, legislative developments, and key rulings impacting prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the courts.
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Latest News in Criminal Practice
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June 23, 2025
DOJ Sues Wash. Over New Abuse Reporting Rule For Clergy
The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday moved to join the Catholic Church's constitutional challenge of a Washington state law making clergy members mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse, saying the requirement violates priests' right to freely exercise religion by forcing them to disclose information shared during Confession.
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June 20, 2025
Fla. Panel Reverses Life Sentence In Carjacking Case
A Florida appellate court reversed a life sentence for a man convicted of felony battery and carjacking, saying the lower court wrongly believed it didn't have the discretion to impose a lighter punishment.
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June 20, 2025
Wisconsin Judge Gets Court To Weigh Dismissal Before Trial
A Wisconsin federal judge overseeing the government's prosecution of a state judge for allegedly helping an unauthorized immigrant evade arrest canceled a jury trial scheduled for July, saying he will rule on her motion to dismiss first.
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June 20, 2025
Top Court Limits Sentencing Factors For Release Violations
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday limited what factors district judges may consider when sentencing defendants for violating the terms of supervised release, vacating the Sixth Circuit's findings that allowed lower courts to undertake the same analysis for revocation proceedings as primary sentencings.
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June 17, 2025
Domestic Violence Groups Sue Feds Over Grant Restrictions
A group of domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions is asking a federal court to block the Trump administration from imposing restrictions on grants by the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, saying the new rules make it impossible to effectively operate their programs that help victims.
Areas of Coverage
- Influential appellate decisions in state supreme and federal circuit courts—especially those guiding trial strategy and evidentiary standards
- Developments in intermediate state appellate courts with potential to shape precedent.
- Federal, state, and local legislation or regulation impacting courts, prosecutors, and defenders.
- Developments from state attorneys general, including prosecutions, policy shifts, and personnel moves
- Criminal justice reform efforts and the impact on state and local prosecutions.
- Unique criminal cases at the trial court level, in state or federal court
- Civil appellate opinions affecting the criminal bar, such as rulings on qualified immunity.
- Innovations in criminal law education and defense training at law schools.
- Profiles of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and others impacting criminal law.
- Studies or reports on the work of state and local prosecutors or public defenders.
- AGENCIES
- State and local prosecutors’ offices
- Public defender offices
- DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility
- State bar associations and judicial conduct bodies
- POLICY & REGULATION
- Rules of Criminal Procedure in state and local courts
- Professional conduct standards for criminal attorneysDOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility
- State legislative initiatives in criminal prosecutions and defense
- ENFORCEMENT
- Misconduct investigations and disciplinary actions involving prosecutors and defenders
- PROFILES
- Profiles of individual prosecutors, public defenders and private criminal defense attorneys
- Profiles of firms and public offices
Readership
- State and local prosecutors
- State and local public defenders
- Criminal defense attorneys in private practice
- Criminal justice reform advocates
- Law enforcement professionals
- Appellate specialists
- Legal academics and students
- Attorneys specializing in appeals of criminal cases
- Judges and court staff in the criminal courts
- Staff in state attorney generals offices
- Staff at the DOJ, working in the criminal division