U.S. federal courts

In U.S. federal criminal practice, an indictment typically marks the start of a protracted court process that can include pretrial motions, discovery, and a potential trial.

Defense attorneys in U.S. federal cases commonly file pretrial motions to dismiss indictments, sometimes arguing grounds such as selective prosecution or vindictive prosecution.

Many U.S. federal courts use random assignment to allocate judges to cases as a means of promoting impartiality.

Indictments in U.S. federal cases sometimes do not identify confidential associates or anonymous sources, which can complicate external assessment of the strength and specifics of the alleged evidence.

U.S. federal courts assessing constitutional challenges to election regulations require plaintiffs to allege individualized harm (injury) to establish standing.

U.S. federal courts can issue temporary injunctions that block presidential orders or federal troop deployments when a court finds the president likely exceeded legal authority.

U.S. federal courts can issue temporary restraining orders blocking federal deployment or federalization of state National Guard forces if the courts determine there is insufficient justification and that deployment could harm state sovereignty.