Definitely. I’m sure they’ll hire many new AUSAs for the additional cases in order to keep the system moving efficiently. Or, just maybe, they’ll decide not to indict some of those cases.
I still don’t understand why preliminary hearings exist. If you swore out a complaint, that means a Magistrate Judge believed you had PC for this charge already. Otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten your complaint signed.
My posts only represent my personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of any employer, past or present. Obvious spelling errors are likely the result of an iPhone keyboard.
I thought it was intended as a golden opportunity for the defense to pretend that it’s a trial and ask a million questions which have nothing to do with the PC for the arrest...?
Preliminary hearing story:
I was on the stand, and the defense attorney (a very nice lady and a former AUSA) was trying to paint her cartel-employed client as a bumbling idiot who hadn’t known what he was getting himself into.
Defense: “Special Agent Le Francais, did my client tell you that he had asked for payment up front for this job?”
Me: “Yes.”
Defense: “Isn’t it extremely unusual for these organizations to pay up front, and doesn’t that show that my client doesn’t understand how any of this works”?
Me: “Perhaps your client’s request to be paid up front was motivated by optimism rather than ignorance.”
Spanish interpreter: “HAHA!”
Judge: (not amused)
Between trying to dodge the Rona and not ending up on Instagram or Youtube, we haven't really been proactive since early March. My squad is pretty much running warrants and mainly looking for female fugitives since they're generally easier to find and less likely to act a fool when the cuffs go on.
Some of the nicer guns that have been seized in my office:
HKMR556A1 that was brand new. Dude had the receipt where he purchased 4 hours before being arrested.
FN M16A2 that had been diverted off a shipment of DOD weapons that were supposed to be shipped to one of our allies.
S&W 32-20 M&P Hand Ejector with a box of ammunition off a mid-level crack dealer. That gun was pristine and the FFL dealer who bought it put it in his personal collection.
S&W 686 CS1 that a guy tried shooting his neighbor’s propane tank with. He thought if he could get her near the propane tank he could shoot the tank and it would blow up and kill her and destroy the evidence in the explosion.
Several different Colt 1911s. Some Gold Cups and a few Commanders.
Ruger Blackhawks, Super Blackhawks and some GP100s.
A few Polytech AK47s.
A Gemtech .308 can. I don’t recall the model.
A few different M1 Garands. The last one was a Blue Sky import, but the others were mostly Springfields.
A Sabre Defence XR15 with factory Tiger Stripe stock.
A Beretta 92 that was a former Indianapolis PD gun converted to DAO.
A FN 5.7 Pistol NIB with 3 extra magazines and ammunition.
These are the ones that came to mind right away.