27 Month Sentence Reduced to 1 Year

In U.S. v. S.G., the defendant was detained at an Albuquerque Greyhound bus station while traveling across the United States.  A subsequent search of her person revealed that she was carrying several kilograms of heroin strapped to her body.  Charged in federal court with possessing that heroin for distribution, she was facing a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence.  Prior to filing a motion to suppress evidence, Attorney Dudley presented to the prosecutor his claim that the detention and search of his client had been illegal.  To avert litigation of that motion, the government agreed to a settlement under which the defendant pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and faced no more than 27 months imprisonment.  At sentencing, the prosecution strongly argued that the defendant was deserving of the full 27-month possible term.  Countering that argument with the presentation of a psychological assessment which diagnosed the defendant as suffering from multiple psychopathological conditions brought on largely by childhood neglect and abuse, Attorney Dudley was able to persuade the Court to limit his client’s sentence to one year and one day of incarceration.