Philadelphia Federal Sentencing Attorney

Even after cooperation with prosecutors, a plea, a trial and a guilty verdict, many federal criminal matters go to a federal sentencing hearing. If a defendant has cooperated, a federal sentencing memo will be written, explaining the defendant’s conduct and the extent of his or her cooperation to the sentencing judge.

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In a federal criminal case, the sentencing memo a federal criminal defense lawyer writes will contain many of the same items whether the defendant cooperated or not. If the defendant went to trial, the sentencing memo is typically more of a discussion of the defendant than of the crime itself.

Lawyers Experienced With Federal SentencIng Hearings in Pennsylvania

At Hark and Hark, we are skilled and experienced in crafting sentencing memos that serve the best interests of our clients, creating compelling arguments on their behalf. An effective sentencing memo outlines:

  • The variety of bases for a federal downward departure
  • All reasons for the judge to grant a downward variance
  • Reasons for the judge to grant you a lower sentence

Attorney Richard Hark has written extensively about this issue for the Legal Intelligencer. Go to the Articles and Publications page of this web site, and click on the links to read his three articles, “Securing a Downward Departure,” “Securing a Downward Variance,” and “Section 3553: The Center of Sentencing Provisions.”

These articles address in detail the specific burden of sentencing counsel in drafting an appropriate federal sentencing memo. The refined art of advocacy in a federal sentencing memo is a unique obligation that combines both legal prowess and appropriate writing prose to effectively advocate for divergent ways to lower the initial offense level score from which the imprisonment determinations are made.

As well, a comprehensive understanding of the sentencing provisions, variety of downward departure provisions, and complex calculation of offense gravity scores requires competent counsel, not an attorney who does not know what they are doing in federal court.

Without skilled representation, you risk an unfavorable ruling in your case. An ineffective sentencing memo at best tells a judge that the attorney does not know how to handle the sentencing and, worse, who his client really is.

Contact Hark and Hark About Federal Sentencing

To arrange a free initial consultation to discuss the charges against you and how our lawyers can fight for you, contact Hark and Hark online or call us toll free at 877-4-HARK-LAW (877-442-7552).

Free initial consultation. Reasonable rates and payment plans. Major credit cards accepted.

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