They write
We are pleased to officially launch NACDL’s new Criminal Case Tracker — a centralized, searchable resource designed to catalog notable federal prosecutions and identify emerging charging trends across the country.
The Tracker brings together key case filings, timelines, and issue-based classifications in one place to support defense strategy, trend analysis, and systemic advocacy. Users can explore cases by charge type, jurisdiction, legal issues, and enforcement patterns, making it easier to monitor developments and connect broader trends across the federal system.
To protect the sensitive nature of this material, access is structured in tiers. All users may view case summaries and public filings by logging into or creating a free NACDL account. Each case also includes a dedicated “Case Analysis” section reserved exclusively for defense practitioners. NACDL members may access the Case Analysis section immediately upon login using their existing NACDL credentials. Non-member defense practitioners will be prompted to complete a brief attestation form after logging in to confirm they are not affiliated with law enforcement or prosecutorial agencies.
We are excited to make this new tool available to the community and look forward to continuing to expand and refine the Tracker as new cases and trends emerge.
Best regards,
Monica Milton
NACDL Counsel for Public Defense and Special Projects
NACDL Criminal Case Tracker
In response to significant shifts in federal criminal enforcement that depart from historical prosecutorial practices, NACDL has launched a Criminal Case Tracker to monitor and analyze select federal prosecutions that reflect unusual or aggressive uses of criminal law. “Unusual” refers to charging decisions, enforcement theories, or prosecutorial tactics that mark a departure from past norms. The Tracker provides defense counsel with access to key filings, decisions, and outcomes to support effective advocacy.
About the Criminal Case Tracker
Since January 2025, federal criminal law enforcement has undergone profound and rapid change. To help defense counsel navigate this evolving landscape, NACDL has launched a Criminal Case Tracker, a curated resource designed to identify, follow, and analyze select federal prosecutions that depart from traditional enforcement norms.
The Criminal Case Tracker focuses on unusual, novel, or expansive applications of federal criminal law, distinguishing these cases from routine prosecutions that fall within long-standing enforcement patterns.
How to Use the Criminal Case Tracker
The Criminal Case Tracker is a resource designed to primarily assist defense attorneys in developing informed litigation strategies. The tracker may also assist journalists, advocacy organizations, judges, policy makers, and members of the public in identifying emerging enforcement trends and locate relevant filings. It is updated on an ongoing basis and follows selected cases from initial charging through sentencing and appeal.
Use the Tracker to find federal cases that resemble your client’s prosecution based on charged statutes, alleged conduct, charging theories, procedural posture, or enforcement context, such as protest-related or politically sensitive cases. By separating routine prosecutions from unusual or novel uses of the criminal law, the Tracker allows attorneys to quickly assess whether their case fits within a broader enforcement trend.
Each case page includes key filings, pleadings, judicial rulings, and outcomes, allowing users to evaluate how courts are interpreting statutes, resolving constitutional challenges, and responding to aggressive charging theories. Over time, the Tracker also makes it possible to observe how legal arguments are being raised and litigated across jurisdictions and to assess which claims are gaining traction.
Unlike static case summaries, the Tracker follows prosecutions longitudinally, from initiation through resolution and appellate review, enabling attorneys to monitor how early rulings shape later stages of a case and how trial-level decisions fare on appeal.
Contribute Cases to the Tracker
NACDL members and federal defenders are encouraged to suggest cases for inclusion. The Tracker was created and organized by NACDL member Steven Salky and is curated by a team of experienced criminal defense lawyers and former federal prosecutors. Practitioner input is critical to ensuring it reflects meaningful and impactful enforcement trends.
By sharing information about significant or unusual prosecutions, members help strengthen the Tracker as a collective resource.
https://www.nacdl.org/Landing/CaseTracker?_zs=BQHnR1&_zl=bCX08
