Over 90% of criminal lawyers practice exclusively in the state court where they reside, but only a small percentage of them actually practice in federal court. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of hiring a “criminal attorney” assuming they have the knowledge and experience to represent their interests in federal court when they’ve never practiced a case there.
John Caudill has litigated criminal cases in United States District Court for over twenty-five years and represents individuals charged or under investigation for violations of federal law including illegal possession of firearms, felon in possession of firearms, drug trafficking, possession of marijuana, manufacturing of methamphetamine, distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, white-collar crimes, tax fraud, healthcare fraud, Medicare fraud, identity theft, bank fraud, insurance fraud, theft of trade secrets and production or possession of child pornography.
If you’re charged with a federal crime, its important to hire an attorney who is familiar with federal criminal procedure, including the rules on obtaining evidence pre-trial (discovery) during trial (Jenks Act material) and someone who is well-versed in the federal sentencing guidelines. John has used his many years of experience as a federal prosecutor to serve individuals investigated by the United States and those charged with federal offenses.
Choosing a lawyer with significant experience in federal criminal law can sometimes mean the difference between serving years in prison, getting a significantly lesser sentence or even serving no jail time at all. Are you under federal investigation or indictment? Let John Caudill put his experience and knowledge to work for you.
John Caudill represents individuals and companies charged with federal crimes in Bowling Green, Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro, Paducah, Morgantown, Elizabethtown, Shepherdsville, Lietchfield, Hopkinsville, Elkton, Hartford, Glasgow, Scottsville and Franklin in Kentucky and Nashville, Clarksville, Dickson, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Brentwood, Franklin, Gallitin, Columbia, Whitesville, and Hendersonville in Tennessee.
The Sentencing Reform Act (SRA) created the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC). Congress charged the USSC with writing and promulgating a sentencing code known as the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which provide federal judges guidelines with the goal of consistency in federal sentencing.
That is, guidelines were developed so that a defendant sentenced by one judge received a similar sentence as someone sentenced in another court and to ensure that a particular sentence reflects the gravity of the crime, that the punishment furthers the goal of deterrence, that the sentence protects the public from further crimes by the criminal, and that the criminal receives any necessary treatment, medical care or education to further the goal of rehabilitation. Before 1984, federal judges had broad discretion in determining prison sentences in criminal cases.
While judges still have some discretion, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines imposed advisory minimum and maximum sentence ranges within which the judge’s sentence should fall, absent special circumstances.
Sentence ranges under the federal sentencing guidelines depend on a variety of factors. The first step is to calculate the defendant’s offense level, a numerical value that encompasses, among other things, the nature of the crime. For instance, a homicide starts with a higher base offense level than the crime of theft. That number is then adjusted up or down depending on other factors, including the defendant’s role in the offense.
If the defendant is deemed to be a leader of a criminal conspiracy, the offense level increases. If the defendant accepts responsibility for his crime an incremental reduction is applied to the offense level. The court then calculates a criminal history level, the more extensive a defendant’s history the higher is his criminal history category.
If you are charged with a federal crime it is essential that you hire an attorney who has experience dealing with the federal sentencing guidelines. Having an experienced attorney in the area of federal sentencing can sometimes mean a difference of several years in a prison sentence. John Caudill has practiced in federal court for over 30 years and has extensive experience in litigating cases involving the federal sentencing guidelines.
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