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

  • July 31, 2026

    3rd Circ. Issues Warning Against Vague Sentencing Factors

    The Third Circuit on Friday upheld the conviction of a man accused of smuggling marijuana into the Virgin Islands, finding in a precedential opinion that a federal court in the territory did not incorrectly rely on his previous arrest record when determining his sentencing length.

  • July 31, 2026

    Calif. Supreme Court Reverses Strike Of 'Less Attentive' Juror

    The California Supreme Court held that a prosecutor's claim that a prospective juror was "less attentive" than others is not enough to support a peremptory strike, saying a 2022 California law aimed at prohibiting bias in juror removals requires more than a behavioral reason.

  • July 31, 2026

    11th Circ. Backs Nurse's 20-Year Term In $111M Medicare Case

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday agreed with a nurse practitioner that a trial court erred in giving prosecutors more time in closing arguments at her $111 million Medicare fraud trial, but upheld her conviction and 20-year sentence after finding the evidence against her was "overwhelming."

  • July 31, 2026

    Ariz. Justices Clarify Clergy Minor Abuse Reporting Laws

    Arizona's highest court has unanimously determined that under the state's child abuse statute, clergy members who learn about an abuse of a minor are not required to report it if the clergy learned about the abuse through confession, or if reporting it would violate their religion.

  • July 31, 2026

    Conn. Justices Revive Lawsuit Over Killer's Hospital Release

    The Connecticut Supreme Court for the first time Friday said mental health providers must try to protect identifiable victims from dangerous patients, ordering a Hartford HealthCare subsidiary to face ordinary negligence claims from the estate of a woman slain by her former boyfriend, a dentist who then killed himself.

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