It’s more than just the types of crimes that are prosecuted. There are fundamental differences between practicing in federal and state criminal court. Episode 548 (Duration 47:50)
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“Federal judges get their authority from the constitution; they’re article III judges. And then they have the federal rules of criminal procedure. They stick to those rules.” — Anthony Sassan
Thinking about dipping your toe into federal criminal practice. Here’s everything you need to know that’s different from state court…
Attorney Anthony Sassan
Attorney Anthony Sassan has an extensive federal and state law practice in Chicago and the surrounding suburban area.
Anthony and his firm handle the following types of cases:
- Estate Planning
- Probate Litigation
- Federal Criminal Defense
- State Criminal Defense
- Federal Civil Litigation
- State Civil Litigation
- Closely Held Business Representation
- Real Estate Closings
- Family Law
Contact Information
Sassan & Sassan
161 North Clark Street Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60601-3338
(312) 972-9050
[email protected]
[email protected]
“Can’t Miss” Moments:
✓ How to start a federal criminal law practice even if you have no federal experience what-so-ever. (Go to 2:30)
✓ The Criminal Justice Act (CJA) describes how “panel attorneys” are appointed to represent federal defendant’s who can’t afford their own attorneys. This is a way to get paid for representing indigent clients in federal court. (Go to 3:42)
✓ One big difference in federal court is that you see big conspiracy cases with multiple defendants…someone has to represent them. (Go to 4:12)
✓ In a nutshell, these two words explain most of the differences between state and federal court. Master this lesson and you’ll become a federal court wizard in no time. (Go to 6:23)
✓ Illinois is just coming around to reforming it’s bail system. Here’s how the feds have handled pretrial detention. (They don’t call it bail in federal court. It’s never been about the money for them). The words may be different but some things work the same way as in state court. (Go to 7:41)
✓ There’s one big thing that is 100 times easier in federal. For the most part, expect everything else to take longer, require more research, more detailed briefs, and to follow strict protocols. (Go to 11:48)
✓ You don’t have to worry about a “Santiago” proffer in state court. Expect to deal with them in the federal system as part of your discovery. Plus, jump to minute (18:30) to hear more about federal discovery practice. You got to know about the “2 week” rule.
✓ There’s no single bigger contrast than the difference between a trial date in federal court versus a trial date in state court. Why you’ll never see more than 3 cases set for trial on the same date in federal court. What you should never do if you think you need a trial continuance. And what happens when you give federal prosecutors the right to a jury trial in criminal cases. (Go to 21:58)
✓ The one question that’s the most difficult to answer when you represent individuals in federal criminal court…The 3 basic stages of every federal sentencing hearing…Why it all feels like cold pleas in federal court… (Go to 29:20)
✓ What you can expect when federal law enforcement witnesses take the stand, and the real reason why federal investigators can be perceived as more professional than local law enforcement. (Go to 43:05)
Links & Resources
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois – Attorney Information
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois – Admission to the General Bar
- Attorney Admission Frequently Asked Questions
- Frequently Asked Questions about Trial Bar Membership
- Instruction For Admission To The General Bar
- Petition for Admission to the General Bar
- Criminal Justice Act Information
- Becoming A CJA Panel Member
- U.S. District Court of Northern District of Illinois CJA Rules
- CJA Training Videos
- Illinois Federal Defender Program Chicago
- Federal Defenders Training Division
- Federal Defenders CJA Practitioner Resources
See Also
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