Federal Court Detention Hearings – Eastern District of Texas Sherman Division – Sherman & Plano, TX Criminal Defense Lawyer (Part 3)

Community and family ties are very important in the Eastern District of Texas Sherman Division. The judges give lots of weight to whether a third party custodian exists: i.e. a responsible family member or very close friend who can supervise the defendant and report any violations to the court. The toughest problem detainees face in this District is the “presumption” case. In drug conspiracy and other serious offenses, a rebuttable presumption exists that no set of conditions exists to ensure the safety of the public or the appearance of the defendant. These cases by statute include: “(1)…(A) a crime of violence, a violation of section 1591, or an offense listed in section 2332b (g)(5)(B) for which a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years or more is prescribed; B) an offense for which the maximum sentence is life imprisonment or death; (C) an offense for which a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years or more is prescribed in the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 951 et seq.), or chapter 705 of title 46; (D) any felony if such person has been convicted of two or more offenses described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph, or two or more State or local offenses that would have been offenses described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph if a circumstance giving rise to Federal jurisdiction had existed, or a combination of such offenses; or (E) any felony that is not otherwise a crime of violence that involves a minor victim or that involves the possession or use of a firearm or destructive device (as those terms are defined in section 921), or any other dangerous weapon, or involves a failure to register under section 2250 of title 18, United States Code…” Probably 90 percent or more of drug conspiracies allege a drug weight amount high enough to trigger the ten to life sentencing range.

If you or someone you know is being investigated or prosecuted for a crime, call Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist Micah Belden at 903-744-4252.