Rule · Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
Fed. R. Crim. P. 52 — Harmless and Plain Error
Fed. R. Crim. P. 52
- Type
- Rule
- Source
- Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
- Date
- 2026-10-22
- Current through
- Nov 10, 2026 (Office of the Law Revision Counsel)
(a) Harmless Error. Any error, defect, irregularity, or variance that does not affect substantial rights must be disregarded. (b) Plain Error. A plain error that affects substantial rights may be considered even though it was not brought to the court’s attention.
Citator
Fed. R. Crim. P. 52 — Harmless and Plain Error is in force in the current edition of the Code, and nothing recorded condemns it.
(a) Harmless Error. Any error, defect, irregularity, or variance that does not affect substantial rights must be disregarded. (b) Plain Error. A plain error that affects substantial rights may be considered even though it was not brought to the court’s attention.