Federal Criminal Defense Guides

How to Cross A Government Expert Witness A Battle of the Experts Federal white-collar criminal cases, when properly tried, boil down to one thing – a battle of the experts. The Government scours the country looking for a highly credentialed expert who is willing to testify and the defense scours the country looking for a […]

Federal Indictments What Happens Next and How to Fight Back Handling a Federal Indictment First Steps Stop talking to agents. You don’t “talk your way out” of a federal case—ever. Politely invoke your right to counsel. Do not text, DM, or post about the case. Assume everything is preserved (and discoverable). Gather documents (devices, emails, […]

Federal Cooperation and Proffer Agreements Federal Proffers and “Cooperation”: A Comprehensive Guide Understanding the Proffer Process in Federal Investigations A proffer, often referred to in legal circles as a “queen for a day” agreement, is a critical component in federal investigations. The term “proffer” essentially means offering a statement or evidence in a legal setting. […]

Arraignment in Federal Court: A Vital Step When a federal defendant has been charged with a federal crime by a federal prosecutor, they will proceed to arraignment. Arraignment is a critical stage in any federal criminal case and must be treated seriously. Mistakes at this point can be hard to overcome and may have drastic consequences for the rest of the […]

How the Government Reviews Attorney Client Privileged Information Using a Filter Team After seizing material that is potentially privileged through the attorney client privilege, federal agents send the information to a “filter team” previously called a “taint team” to sift through the information and separate privileged and potentially privileged materials from materials that are not […]

The Origin of Federal Prescribing Laws In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, drug control policy was largely a revenue measure in order to capture revenue from the extensive Chinese opium trade. Noticing the growing problem of addiction due to the high availability of opium products, the United States enacted the Tariff Act of 1832 to curb […]

 The truth about Federal Plea Agreements What is a Federal Plea Agreement? Before we dive into plea agreements, let’s clear up some common misconceptions. Federal defendants plead guilty and most do so pursuant to a Rule 11 plea agreement. Most defendants think that in order to plead guilty they have to enter into a plea […]

 Understanding Federal Sentencing What are the Sentences for Federal Charges? Federal sentences vary based on the type of offense, severity of the offense, and prior criminal history of the defendant. Some federal sentences carry a mandatory minimum while others require the judge to determine the sentence based off of the federal sentencing guidelines and the […]

Understanding Federal Charges: A Practical Guide by Ronald W. Chapman II Facing a federal criminal case is daunting. I wrote this guide to give you a clear map—what makes a case federal, how the process unfolds, where the government’s leverage really lies, and how an aggressive, informed defense changes outcomes. I’ll link to primary sources […]

Fight the Feds Book Notes List Fight the Feds Footnotes Here you will find all of the cases, documents, and resources linked in Fight the Feds: Unraveling Federal Criminal Investigations. [1] McVeigh later expedited his death sentence and was quickly executed despite the Justice Department notifying defense counsel that it failed to disclose thousands of […]