Leading Chicago Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers Obtain Substantially Below Guidelines Sentence and Release for their Client. On Tuesday, April 30, 2024,Leonard Trial Lawyers, through Michael Leonard, along with co-counsel Gloria Rodriguez of the Gloria Law Firm in Waukegan, IL obtained a substantially below Federal Guidelines sentence – which will result in the release of their client.
The case, which can be found on the Docket for the United States District Court for Northern District under case number 1:20:cr-00775, was initially brought by way of a Federal Indictment. The Indictment charged Defendant with a Federal drug crime, namely violation of 21 United States Code, 841(a)(1), with the alleged intent to distribute numerous kilos of cocaine, and a quantity of fentanyl in excess of 400 grams. Accordingly, Defendant then faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
However, the attorneys at Leonard Trial Lawyers were able to persuade Federal prosecutors to reduce the crime charged, such that on mandatory minimum applied. Nevertheless, Defendant still faced an extremely Guidelines range of 70 to 87 months. At the sentencing hearing, Federal prosecutors argued for a sentence within that Guidelines range.
Michael Leonard of Leonard Trial Lawyers, conversely, argued for a time served sentence. That argument was premised upon, among other factors, the Defendant’s role in the offense, Defendant’s limited criminal history, several of the other Section 3553 factors, and the Defendant’s allocution (statement) to the Court at the sentencing hearing.
Ultimately, the District Court rejected the Government’s position, and imposed a sentence of 48 months. Moreover, based upon the fact that Federal defendants only serve 85% of their sentence, Leonard Trial Lawyers’ client is expected to be immediately released.
This case serves as another example of how important the sentencing process can be in a Federal criminal case – including the preparation of the client for the Pre-Sentence Report (“PSR”); the Defendant’s Sentencing Memo and Response to the PSR, drafted by counsel; counsel’s preparation for the sentencing hearing; counsel’s preparation of the Defendant to be able to address the Court during the sentencing hearing; and counsel’s oral presentation to the Court at the sentencing hearing.
Leonard Trial Lawyers’ attorneys, including Michael Leonard and Matthew Chivari, regularly engage in those activities and obtain outstanding sentencing results for the clients in the Federal courts.
Michael Leonard
Matthew Chivari
Leonard Trial Lawyers
May 2, 2024