Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-1_15-cr-00238/USCOURTS-almd-1_15-cr-00238-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Edtron Griffin
Defendant
USA
Plaintiff

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR

THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

SOUTHERN DIVISION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA )

)

v. ) CR NO. 1:15CR238-MHT

) WO

EDTRON GRIFFIN )

ORDER ON ARRAIGNMENT

On 6/29/2015, the defendant, Edtron Griffin, appeared in person and in open court

with counsel, Christine Freeman, and was arraigned in accordance with the provisions of

Rule 10 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

PLEA. The defendant entered a plea of NOT GUILTY. Counsel for the defendant

is requested to contact the U.S. Attorney immediately if the defendant intends to engage in

plea negotiations. If the defendant decides to change this plea, the parties shall file a notice

of intent to plead guilty or otherwise notify the clerk’s office at or before the pretrial

conference and then this action will be set on a plea docket.

PRELIMINARY SENTENCING GUIDELINES INFORMATION. The court no

longer requires the United States Probation Office to provide preliminary sentencing

guideline information to defendants. However, in difficult or complex cases defendants may

request the United States Probation Office to provide Sentencing Guideline calculation

assistance with the understanding that any estimate is tentative only and is not binding on the

United States Probation Office, the parties or the court. The court expects that requests for

Sentencing Guideline calculation assistance shall be the exception and that defendants will

not make such requests a matter of routine. A request for Sentencing Guideline calculation

assistance shall be made to the United States Probation Office not later than 10 days from

the date of this order.

PRETRIAL CONFERENCE. An initial pretrial conference is hereby set for

8/26/2015 at 9:00 a.m., in Courtroom 5A, before United States Magistrate Judge

Wallace Capel, Jr., United States Courthouse Complex, One Church Street, Montgomery,

Alabama. Not later than three (3) days prior to the date of the pretrial conference,

counsel shall confer about the issues and matters to be discussed at the pretrial

conference as set forth in this order. Counsel who want in-custody defendants to attend

must notify the Magistrate Judge within three days of the conference date so that an order to

produce can be issued to the United States Marshal.

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At the pretrial conference defense counsel and counsel for the government shall be

fully prepared to discuss all pending motions, the status of discovery, possible stipulations,

and the estimated length of the trial. The defense counsel and counsel for the government

shall be fully prepared to provide a definite commitment as to the final disposition of this

case - by trial, plea or other non-trial disposition. If resolution of a dispositive motion will

affect the nature of this commitment, counsel must be fully prepared to discuss this type of

resolution. If the case is for plea, the notice of intent to enter a plea should be filed at the

time of the pretrial conference. If counsel require additional time for plea negotiations,

counsel should be prepared to inform the court about the date when those negotiations will

be completed.

TRIAL. The case is set for trial before Senior United States District Judge

Myron H. Thompson on the trial term beginning on 11/16/2015 at 10:00 a.m. in Dothan,

Alabama, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

In setting this case for trial on the term indicated above, the court recognizes that the

Speedy Trial Act places limits on the court’s discretion, and that under the act, the trial of a

defendant must commence within 70 days of the date of the indictment or the date of the

defendant’s first appearance before a judicial officer, whichever is later. 18 U.S.C. §

3161(c)(1). In determining whether a case should be set after the expiration of the 70 day

period, a court must consider among other factors “[w]hether the failure to [set the case at

a later date] . . . would be likely to . . . result in a miscarriage of justice.” 18 U.S.C. §

3161(h)(8)(B)(I). The court also must consider “whether the failure to grant such a

continuance . . . would deny counsel for the defendant or the attorney for the government the

reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due

diligence.” 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(8)(B)(iv). Based on the nature of this case, the parties’

need for adequate time for discovery and the need for counsel to have adequate time for trial

preparation, the court finds that the ends of justice served by setting this case on this trial

term outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial. Any

requested voir dire questions and jury instructions must be filed no later than one week

before jury selection.

PRETRIAL MOTIONS. All pretrial motions under Fed.R.Crim.P. 12(b) and (d),

14 and 16, all notices under Fed.R.Crim.P. 12.1, 12.2 and 12.3, and any motion to compel

pursuant to M.D. Ala. LCrR 16.1 Criminal Discovery must be filed no later than TWO

DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST PRETRIAL CONFERENCE HELD IN THIS CASE. No

motion filed after this date will be considered unless filed with leave of court. Unless

otherwise ordered by the court, the continuance of the trial of a case will not extend the time

for filing pretrial motions. THE CONFERENCING REQUIREMENT SET FORTH IN

M.D. Ala. LCrR 16.1(c) CRIMINAL DISCOVERY SHALL BE MET BEFORE THE

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COURT WILL CONSIDER ANY DISCOVERYMOTION. THECOURTWILLNOT

GRANT MOTIONS TO ADOPT MOTIONS FILED BY OTHER DEFENDANTS.

Motions to suppress must allege specific facts which, if proven, would provide a basis

of relief. This court will summarily dismiss suppression motions which are supported only

by general or conclusory assertions founded on mere suspicion or conjecture. All grounds

upon which the defendant relies must be specifically stated in the motion in separately

numbered paragraphs in a section of the motion which is labeled "Issues Presented." 

Grounds not stated in the "Issues Presented" section of the motion will be deemed to

have been waived. See generallyUnited States v. Richardson, 764 F.2d 1514,1526-27 (11th

Cir. 1985).

The government shall file a response to all motions filed by the defendant on or

before five days prior to the date set for a hearing on the motion or, if no hearing is

necessary, on or before ten (10) days after the date of the pretrial conference.

DISCOVERY. All discovery in this action shall be conducted according to the

requirements of M.D. Ala. LCrR 16.1 Criminal Discovery. A copy of this Rule may be

found at http://http://www.almd.uscourts.gov/docs/lorules.pdf. Unless the government

provided initial disclosures to defendant prior to or at arraignment, the government is

ORDERED to tender initial disclosures to the defendant on or before 6/29/2015.

Disclosures by the defendant, as required by M.D. Ala. LCrR 16.1(a)(4) shall be provided

on or before 7/6/2015.

JENCKSACTSTATEMENTS. The government agrees to provide defense counsel

with all Jencks Act statements no later than the day scheduled for the commencement of the

trial.1

MANDATORY APPEARANCE OF COUNSEL. Counsel of record for all parties

are ORDERED to appear at all future court proceedings in this criminal case. Those

attorneys who find it impossible to be in attendance (especiallyat the pretrial conference, jury

selection, or trial) must make arrangements to have substitute counsel appear on behalf of

their clients. Any attorney who appears as substitute counsel for a defendant shall have full

authorization from the defendant to act on his or her behalf and be fully prepared to proceed. 

Substitute counsel shall not be counsel for a co-defendant unless permitted by the court after

proper motion. Any counsel who wishes to have substitute counsel appear must obtain

permission of the court in advance.

 In certain complex cases, the government may agree to earlier production.

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NOTE: Except in extraordinary circumstances or circumstances in which the

Constitution would require it, the court will not entertain motions to withdraw filed by

counsel who appear at arraignment unless the motions are filed within seven days of

the date of this order. Failure to obtain fees from a client is not an extraordinary

circumstance.

DONE, this 13 day of July, 2015. th

/s/ Susan Russ Walker 

SUSAN RUSS WALKER

CHIEF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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