Courts Adopt Varying Approaches To Implementing Due Process Protections Act

In a December 2020 article, we highlighted in this blog the amendment of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 5(f) in the new Due Process Protections Act ("DPPA" or "the Act"). The Act requires federal courts to enter a Brady order at the outset of all criminal cases and may prompt courts to enter orders setting specific disclosure rules, making it easier to hold prosecutors in contempt for violating such orders. In the five months since the Act went into effect, Courts have varied in their implementation of Rule 5(f), suggesting that discovery orders under the new rule will vary based on the leanings of each particular judge, district, or circuit, and the requirements of each individual case. To date, some courts have decided to succinctly recite the language of Rule 5(f) in their initial orders, essentially reminding the prosecution of its pre-existing discovery obligations. Others are taking a more expansive view in implementing the revised rule, issuing specific and