Unfortunately, no matter how hard you work, sometimes “not guilty” just isn't in the cards. It is then that sentencing and imprisonment issues become as much a part of criminal defense as the trial itself. With over 35 years of federal sentencing, corrections, and appellate experience, we can 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 Section 3553 grounds that judges can use without fear of being overturned.
• Forfeiture and restitution issues.
• Institutional designation and program placement that could reduce or ease your client's prison time.
• Appeal of sentencing issues.
• Rule 35 and Section 2255 motions.
• Prison, probation, and supervised release issues.
• Commutations and Pardons.

EXPERIENCE

Richard began his career in 1973 as general counsel for the Louisiana Department of Corrections and later held the same position with Corrections Corporation of America. Since 1988, he has worked exclusively with defense attorneys and criminal defendants on all types of sentencing, appeal and post-conviction matters. His clients have included Edwin Edwards, former Governor of Louisiana; James Brown, the Godfather of Soul; and Fate Thomas, former sheriff of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee

Richard has served on the Practitioners' Advisory Committee to the United States Sentencing Commission since 1989. He has also represented over 25 federal, state and local agencies in matters related to the private operation of jails and prisons.

Since 2001, Jay has helped trial lawyers mitigate sentences, assisted both lawyers and inmates regarding conditions of prison confinement, and challenged the legality of federal convictions and sentences through Section 2255 motions. He has also helped hundreds of federal inmates obtain relief from Bureau of Prisons decisions, and to otherwise navigate the BOP’s labyrinth of regulations. Jay is also skilled at obtaining public records from the Department of Justice and the BOP.

The firm’s practice is limited to plea, sentencing, prison, and post-conviction matters. We keep our caseload small enough to give significant, personal attention to those for whom we work. Our clients have included high profile politicians, entertainers, and corporate executives, as well as numerous drug and organized crime defendants.

MEMBERSHIP

• U.S. Sentencing Commission, Practitioner's Advisory Group (RC)
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (RC, JH)
• Criminal Defense Lawyers Associations , Tennessee and Louisiana (RC)
• National Legal Aid and Defenders Association (JH)
• National Alliance of Sentencing and Mitigation Specialists (JH)

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

• United States Supreme Court [RC]
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th, 6th and 11th Circuits [RC]
• Numerous Federal District Courts [RC, JH]
• Tennessee Supreme Court [RC]
• Louisiana Supreme Court [RC]
• Maryland Court of Appeals (Maryland‘s highest court) [JH]