What is Federal Sentencing?
The Federal Sentencing Guidelines can be extremely complicated. We have been practicing under the guidelines for almost our entire professional career and have extensive knowledge of guidelines case law and their commentary.
Although the guidelines are no longer mandatory, they are still very important. United States v. Booker requires federal courts to start the sentencing process by calculating the appropriate guidelines range. Only then is a sentencing court allowed, but not required, to grant a downward departure, under the guidelines, or a Booker downward variance, based on non-guidelines’ factors set out in federal statutes.
“Sentencing” occurs after a defendant has been convicted of a criminal offense. In the federal criminal system, sentencing is a complex area of law that is governed by statutes, rules, cases, and the U.S. Constitution.
Our Firm’s Comprehensive and “Day One” Approach to Federal Sentencing
Not every attorney takes the same approach to sentencing. Some lawyers view sentencing hearing as a passive hearing or as simply a chance for the convicted person to say, “I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.” That approach is not our approach. Sentencing is one of the most important part of a client’s legal representation.
As soon as we start working on a client’s case, our approach is to hope for the best but plan for the worst. We begin sentencing considerations and preparations early in the process and months before the client is scheduled to be sentenced. Our client’s sentencing focus is a “Day One” model. This means, if you are sentenced to no prison time or some prison time, what is our client’s focus on Day One from their release.
To prepare for a sentencing hearing, we actually talk extensively with our client. We also speak with witnesses who may be able to provide mitigation testimony for the client at sentencing. We consult with potential expert witnesses who can add insight about our client on a range of issues including drug abuse, physical abuse as a child, and mental health. We team with our client and their family to gather character letters that we submit to the judge before sentencing. We diligently research the law and consider all possible arguments for a low or probationary sentence. We examine employment opportunities and business development ideas to demonstrate our clients are serious about living a productive and crime-free lifestyle. We look for all possible ways to mitigate the sentence to be as low as possible.
If you have been convicted of a crime in federal court, you should want the assistance of a seasoned federal sentencing attorney who can help you navigate the federal sentencing process. You want an attorney who is willing to go the extra mile to fight for a lower sentence on your behalf.
Accomplished Federal Sentencing Attorney
If you are facing a federal sentencing hearing and need experienced legal counsel, feel free to contact Haas Law. We have extensive experience in white-collar crime sentencings and federal drug sentencings. Individuals and fellow criminal defense lawyers all over the country have relied on the services of federal sentencing attorney David Haas.
Several of our clients do not come to us until the sentencing stage of their cases. We do everything in our power to minimize their sentences. Many of our clients have obtained significant downward guidelines departures and downward Booker variances. Call our office at 407-755-7675 to learn more about the ways we can reduce your federal sentence.