Reference posts from the Corydon Law Research Desk. The posts are built on the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the federal charging statutes, including 18 U.S.C. § 371, each quoted from its primary source.
Why the mitigation record should be assembled before the presentence report: the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors and the guideline framework of 28 U.S.C. § 994
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
How issues are preserved for appeal: objections below, the notice of appeal deadline under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(b)(1), and appellate jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
What can be done before a federal indictment: warrant challenges under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41, and pretrial defenses under Rule 12
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
What a federal target letter means, how it fits into the grand jury process under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 7, and the perjury exposure of 18 U.S.C. § 1621
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
What a federal search warrant requires under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41, and the false statement exposure of 18 U.S.C. § 1001 when agents ask questions
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
How the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines work: the Commission's role under 28 U.S.C. § 994 and the court's duty under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
The pre-charge phase of a white-collar federal investigation: the wire fraud statute (18 U.S.C. § 1343) and the conspiracy statute (18 U.S.C. § 371) that anchor most such cases
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
The post-conviction remedies after a federal conviction: direct appeal and the 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion to vacate, set aside, or correct a sentence
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
How a federal criminal appeal proceeds in the Ninth Circuit: circuit composition under 28 U.S.C. § 41, jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and the notice deadline of Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(b)(1)
Read Article →Related: Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk — Page Not Found — Medical Malpractice Research Desk Medical Malpractice Research Desk Error 404 This page does not exist.
Published by the Corydon Law Research Desk — John D. Kirby, publisher — former federal prosecutor. This page is reference information about federal law and procedure, not legal advice.
Sources listed above were accessed and verified on August 20, 2026. Statutes and rules are quoted from the linked primary pages as published on that date. Information on this site is general in nature and is not legal advice.