Unfortunately, no matter how hard you work, sometimes “not guilty” just isn't in the cards. With over 25 years of federal sentencing and corrections experience, I may be able to help you in the following areas:

• Plea negotiations to ensure your client's sentence is the lowest possible.
• Objections that can lower your client's guidelines, despite U.S. Attorney and probation officer attempts to do otherwise.
• Sentencing memoranda humanizing your client and identifying and advocating novel departure and 3553grounds that judges can use without fear of being overturned.
• Forfeiture and restitution issues.
• Institutional designation and program placement that will reduce or ease your client's prison time.
• Appeal of sentencing issues.
• Rule 35 and 2255 motions.

EXPERIENCE

During the eight years I was general counsel for the Louisiana Department of Corrections, I received hundreds of questions from defense attorneys and prisoners about sentencing, probation, prison placement and transfers, early release possibilities, supervised release, pardons, restoration of rights and the like. It occurred to me that it was difficult for criminal lawyers to keep up with these issues because so much of their time is spent dealing with the ever-changing nuances of criminal law and procedure. And, after all, no criminal defense lawyer ever made his reputation bragging about the great sentence and prison placement he got his last client.

As a result, when I left the Department of Corrections I limited my practice to plea, sentencing, prison and post-conviction matters. I maintain a caseload small enough to allow me to give significant personal attention to those for whom I work. My clients have included high profile politicians, entertainers, and corporate executives; as well as numerous drug and organized crime defendants. Because much of my work involves the federal sentencing guidelines, I have served on the Practitioners' Advisory Committee to the United States Sentencing Commission since 1989. I have also represented over 25 federal, state and local agencies in matters related to the private operation of jails and prisons.

MEMBER

• United States Sentencing Commission, Practitioner's Advisory Group
• National Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Post Conviction and Sentencing Committee
• Criminal Defense Lawyers Associations , Tennessee and Louisiana

ADMITTED

• United States Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th, 6th and 11th Circuits
• Tennessee Supreme Court
• Louisiana Supreme Court

Richard Crane
3905 Estes Road
Nashville , TN 37215
615-298-3719
615-298-2827 (fax)
rcrane108@gmail.com