|
Criminal Defense
NLPA services the entire United States and many foreign jurisdictions. Our staff includes experienced attorneys/legal researchers, providing expertise in paralegal services, sentencing, parole rules and regulations, Bureau of Prison policies, psychological and social services. We help legal counsel prepare pre- and post-trial motions as well as appeals by providing research and support materials. These assist counsel in making available the best possible representation for his client.
The standard billing rate for NLPA’s legal research and writing service ranges from $85.00 to $150.00 per hour, depending upon the client-imposed deadline and the individuals involved doing the research. Volume discount pricing is available to clients who commit to delegate a specific number of hours of work to NLPA over a 12-month period. A fifty percent deposit or payment by check or credit card is required to initiate a project.
Research & Preparation of Pre-Trial Motions, Appeals & Motions to Reduce Sentence- as consultants to legal counsel we research and prepare various motions on both a pre-trial and post-conviction basis.
International Sentencing consultation & Reports- in all the Free World sentencing is a critical aspect of judicial procedure. Our reports are designed to deal with international considerations from a personal and legal prospective. We also assist in facilitating the transfer of foreign nationals back to their home country to complete serving their sentences.
Preparation of Motions to Correct Pre-Sentencing Investigation Report & Reduce Sentencing Guideline Exposure- motions under Rule 32 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure are prepared prior to sentencing eliminating erroneous information which, if relied upon by the court, would result in longer sentence than necessary. This motion also preserves sentencing issues for appeal.
Legal Research Services- appropriate State & Federal case law, (Shepardized) and current Appellate Court & Parole Commission decisions. We utilize Lexis to access to the latest court decisions, rules & regulations.
Sentencing Guidelines- current State & Federal Guideline systems the court uses to calculate prison time are often complex and confusing. We can research these guidelines and prepare an argument for an appropriate sentence. Our research will also determine if there are any reasons to depart below the guidelines, as well as alternative sentencing programs for which the defendant may qualify.
Expert Witness- on probation, parole, sentencing issues as well as wire taps, ballistics, chemical analysis, finger print analysis, etc.
Pre-Custody Consultation- We can prepare briefings on what to expect upon a client surrendering to authorities to answer questions clients might have regarding surrender.
Interpretation of Psychological Information & Related Elevation- We can research how the client’s mental status might aggravate or mitigate the circumstances of the client’s case and whether they might impact on the client’s sentence.
Case Evaluation- Don’t know whether a civil or criminal case has merit? Do you need defining issues in a case? Our experienced staff can research the applicable law under the facts to the client’s case and recommend an appropriate course of action.
DEFENSE PRE-SENTENCING SERVICES, PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATION MEMORANDUM & ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING PROPOSALS
The defense sentencing memorandum is a critical instrument of the defense attorneys support services to their client’s. With the abolishment of traditional parole policies and the use of sentencing guidelines, pre-sentence investigation is essentially mandatory. National Legal Professional Associates assists by preparing detailed memoranda for defense attorneys to review and present at sentencing. Such efforts assist in the elimination of erroneous information which could be used by the court in imposing sentence. The staff of NLPA has extensive experience in sentencing procedures, including the use of alternatives to lengthy incarceration.
FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES
The federal guidelines became effective on November 1, 1987. The guidelines are often confusing and complex, and subject to the vagaries of interpretation by the various federal circuits. They often catch the unwitting practitioner unaware.
NLPA can assist in explaining how the sentencing guidelines affect a client and how they can be utilized to the client’s advantage in securing a minimum sentence.
Additionally, if you believe that the client’s sentence under the guidelines has been imposed erroneously, NLPA can assist by explaining options available to win re-sentencing or a reduction in sentence, on appeal, or through a § 2255 motion.
DEFENSE OF FORFEITURE CASES
For many years, forfeitures were a curiosity which criminal defense attorneys were unlikely to encounter more than a few times in the course of a career. That situation has changed drastically in the past several years as forfeitures have become increasingly frequent in federal law enforcement. A number of states are adopting or studying the federal forfeiture laws with a view toward obtaining a share of the criminal assets now being confiscated by the federal government.
NLPA can assist in dealing with the rem forfeiture proceeding by helping defend against attempts by the government to confiscate a client’s property and to obtain successful return of the items seized.
INSTITUTIONAL ALTERNATIVES
As a result of the abolishment of traditional parole concepts, the courts are now more involved in the setting exact of time-to-serve ranges. Sentencing guidelines have moved form the Parole Commission to the Courts, thus increasing the importance of preparing the record and attempting to obtain optimal results for the client. We have access to the various manuals utilized by the Bureau of Prison, the Parole Commission and the Federal Sentencing Commission which explain the guidelines by which these organizations operate, including updated policy statements. We are available to assist inmates in modifying their custody status and release dates through the following administrative services:
Initial Parole Hearing- (for inmates sentenced under the old law) corrections of inaccurate offense information (PSI), culpability, quantities, and any mitigating information not previously represented at sentencing or in government investigations, including guidelines issues, ex post facto issues, etc., which will help lower parole guidelines for the offender.
National Parole Appeal- (for inmates sentenced under the old law) to modify or reverse a decision made by the United States Parole Commission Rules & Regulations.
Institutional Transfer- State & Federal depending on individual need, release planning, etc.
Halfway House Placement Packages- help insure that the inmate will get the longest placement possible.
Federal Boot Camp Placement
IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION SERVICE DETAINER ASSISTANCE
Inmates who are not United States Citizens will generally have action taken against them by the Immigration & Naturalization Service to be deported once the have completed serving the length of their sentence. This oftentimes creates a tremendous hardship because they have families and loved ones residing in the United States. The lodging of Immigration Detainers has a significant impact upon an inmate’s ability to qualify for halfway house placements and other alternative programs offered by the Bureau of Prisons. The possibility of deportation can also serve as a basis of downward departure at sentencing. Additionally, new programs now make it possible for a defendant to be returned to his home country prior to the completion of his sentence in the United States.
NLPA can assist in securing the release of inmates who are detained pending deportation, or in fighting the deportation itself.
|