H.R. 8392 — No Free Passes for Cronies Act

This section revises Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure—which governs government motions to dismiss federal criminal charges—to authorize the government to move for dismissal of an indictment, information, or complaint and to direct the court to grant or deny the motion based on the interests of justice. The revised rule further prohibits the court from granting dismissal during trial without the defendant's consent. (Thus, unlike prior practice where courts routinely granted such motions, courts now have explicit authority to deny pre-trial dismissal requests deemed not to serve the interests of justice.)