The U.S. Supreme Court continues to shape the landscape of criminal procedure through recent rulings that have far-reaching consequences. Three notable cases—U.S. v. Rahimi, McElrath v. Georgia, and Smith v. Arizona—highlight ongoing debates important to criminal defendants over the Second Amendment, plea bargains, and the confrontation clause. Each decision impacts how constitutional rights are interpreted and applied in the criminal

Pulsifer v. U.S. Recently, in Pulsifer v. United States, the Supreme Court clarified the interpretation of the safety valve provision under the First Step Act. The safety valve is designed to offer relief to first-time or low-level offenders by allowing the court to impose a sentence below the mandatory minimum, assuming the defendant has a limited criminal history and did