Federal Criminal Defense
Reference guide to federal criminal defense: how investigations, indictments, trials, and sentencing proceed under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Read the guide →Federal procedure, by the rules.
An independent reference on federal criminal law and procedure — how investigations work, how charges are built, how sentencing is calculated, and how appeals proceed — for readers in San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and federal courts throughout the Ninth Circuit.
Title 18 / U.S.C. Coverage
SDCA / Southern District of California
9th / Circuit Appellate Review
Reference coverage
Six reference guides on federal criminal procedure, each linked to the statute or rule it describes.
The record
119
Pages in the reference
6
Practice-area guides
10
Depth library pages
The rules
The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure govern the process, ensuring adherence to constitutional rights such as due process and fair trials.
Published by the Corydon Law Research Desk. Reference information, not legal advice.
Practice Areas
Six Reference Guides
Six reference guides on federal criminal procedure, each linked to the statute or rule it describes.
White Collar Defense
Reference guide to white-collar federal prosecutions: fraud statutes, investigative patterns, and the pre-charge phase.
Read the guide →Financial Crimes
Reference guide to federal financial crime prosecutions: wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and related statutes.
Read the guide →Complex Litigation
Reference guide to complex federal criminal litigation: multi-defendant conspiracy cases and their procedure.
Read the guide →Criminal Appeals
Reference guide to federal criminal appeals: jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and the 14-day notice deadline of Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(b)(1).
Read the guide →Pre-Indictment Defense
Reference guide to the pre-indictment phase of a federal case: warrants under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41 and pretrial defenses under Rule 12.
Read the guide →The desk method
Pre-indictment. Sentencing. Appeals.
The reference follows a federal case through its stages, from the start of an investigation to the final review.
01
Pre-indictment
How investigations and target letters work.
02
Sentencing
How the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines are applied.
03
Appeals
How the Ninth Circuit reviews federal convictions.
Reference information, not legal advice.
Coverage
The Depth Library
Reference pages and city indexes that extend the desk's coverage.
The Depth Library
Ten reference pages on the federal process — investigation, charging, trial, sentencing, plea, and motions — each linked to its governing statute or rule.City Pages
Federal procedure by San Diego County city — where cases are heard and where the governing law is published.Blog
Recent Blog Posts
Reference notes on federal procedure, published by the desk.
Sentencing
Federal Sentencing Mitigation Before the PSRThe best sentencing work starts before the presentence report. Build the mitigation packet early so the judge sees records, not guesswork.
AppealsIssue Preservation for Federal AppealsWhy objections at trial and sentencing shape the standard of review long before the notice of appeal is filed.
Pre-indictmentFederal Pre-Indictment Defense StrategyThe earliest phase is where the defense can still narrow exposure, shape the story, and change the result.
Common Questions
Federal Criminal Defense FAQ
Answers to common questions about the desk and its coverage.
What does this site cover?
The Corydon Law Research Desk covers federal criminal procedure: investigations, charges, sentencing, appeals, and the statutes and rules that govern each stage.
Read the full answer →How can I contact the office?
Questions about the guide can be sent through the contact page.
Contact the desk →Federal procedure is published on the record.
Six reference guides on federal criminal procedure, each linked to the statute or rule it describes.