Criminal Law & Procedure

The United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure is the section of the United States code which contains criminal laws and procedure.

USCA Title 18 Crimes & Criminal Procedure Annotated (Westlaw) is a great place to begin a research project because it contains the text of the statute, as well as citations to cases, regulations, and secondary sources which discuss the statute or rule. Access via Westlaw for JU College of Law only.

The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure govern criminal proceedings and prosecutions in the U.S. district courts, the courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court. The original rules were adopted by order of the Supreme Court on December 26, 1944, and were last amended in 2023.

Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure  

USCS Federal Rules Annotated (Lexis) contains the text of the Federal Rules and citations to cases, advisory notes, and history to help better understand the rules. Access via Lexis for JU College of Law only.

Finding cases generally - all JU College of Law students have access to Westlaw and Lexis databases for use in finding cases. Below are links to specific areas of the databases which are helpful in researching criminal law and procedure matters. 

• Criminal Law Case Database (Westlaw) - A database of federal criminal law cases. 
   
• West Key Number 110- Criminal Law - This key number breaks down criminal law into sections such as elements of criminal offenses, defenses, and jurisdiction.
   
• West Key Number 349- Searches and Seizures - This key number looks specifically at issues that arise under searches and seizures pursuant to the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
   
• Lexis Topic- Criminal Law & Procedure - This topic includes all substantive and procedural criminal law issues.