On February 17, 2021, the FBA San Diego Chapter presented Part I of its Two-Part Criminal Legal Skills Series: Litigating at the Presentencing Stage. Hosted on Zoom, the webinar focused on effectively litigating at the presentencing stage. The panelists discussed the strategy behind making objections to presentence reports, including contacting U.S. Probation to correct factual issues and challenging Probation's recommendations for sentencing enhancements and departures. They also shared insight into career offender designations, including analyzing predicate offenses in advance of the presentencing stage and objecting to these designations.
Benjamin Cheeks, the Chapter's Vice President of Community Outreach, moderated a panel discussion that included the Hon. Cathy Ann Bencivengo, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District; Ellis "Trip" Johnston, Clarke, Johnston, Thorp & Rice; Ashley Goff, U.S. Attorney's Office; and Cameron Ervin, U.S. Probation Office. The webinar can be viewed on demand.
In addition to Benjamin Cheeks, the San Diego Chapter thanks Hector Tamayo, Vice President of Fundraising, and Chapter member Shannon L. Laoye for their help organizing this event.