The complete arc — from investigation to verdict
A Federal Criminal Law Resource
The federal system, explained the way it should be.
Plain-English guides to federal criminal procedure, sentencing, and post-conviction relief — authored by a Cornell-educated federal defense attorney with decades of practice in United States district and circuit courts nationwide.
Editor's Note
Written by the lawyer. Not the algorithm.
Most federal criminal law information online is either the raw text of a statute or paid advertising in disguise. This archive is neither. Every guide here is drafted from a working federal defense practice — the language is precise, the citations are current, and the tone respects a reader whose freedom may depend on understanding what happens next.
If you are a defendant, a family member, a paralegal, a journalist, or a young lawyer — this is the reference you would have wanted the first time you walked into a United States district court.
The Index · 35 Guides
Six chapters. One federal system.
The archive follows the actual arc of a federal case — from the first grand jury subpoena to compassionate release decades later.
Indictment, detention, release, and the road to trial
Grand Jury & Pretrial
Change of plea, plea agreements, and trial procedure
Pleas & Jury Trial
Direct appeal, § 2255 motions, and post-conviction relief
Appeals & Habeas
BOP designation, supervised release, forfeiture, restitution
Prison, Supervision & Consequences
Facing Federal Charges
Reading a guide is not the same as having counsel.
If you or someone you know is under federal investigation, indicted, or preparing for sentencing, do not rely on an internet article alone. Contact John Kirby for a confidential consultation with a practicing federal defense attorney.
Contact Kirby Criminal Law→Confidential · No obligation