Services

Christine will diligently work the case from the outset, commencing her efforts as early as the plea negotiation stage. As a formal Federal Probation Officer, she possesses invaluable insights into the specific language employed in plea agreements that signal the United States Probation Office to apply certain sentencing enhancements including pseudo counts. These pseudo counts frequently lead to unforeseen and higher sentences. Her expertise in this area will equip defense attorneys with the necessary information to effectively negotiate plea agreements for their clients.

As part of the plea agreement analysis, Christine will review discovery, court documents, and criminal history to prepare a Sentencing Advisory Report (SAR). The SAR will include advisory guideline calculations, criminal history and potential imprisonment range. Attorneys and clients have found that having an anticipatory examination of how the Federal Sentencing Guidelines will be applied to their case to be invaluable.

Following the disclosure of the initial Presentence Report by the United States Probation Office, Christine will meticulously review the document to verify the accurate application of the guidelines. As a former supervisor in the United States Probation Office, Christine possesses extensive experience in this area. She will also collaborate in the drafting of objections and response to the PSR.

Christine will work closely with defense counsel and the client’s family to identify compelling variance factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553.  These variance factors can be presented to the court by the attorney to enable the sentencing judge to impose the most favorable sentence possible. 

Finally, Christine will assist defense counsel in making recommendations for proper placement within the Bureau of Prisons and suggest suitable educational, treatment, and vocational programs for the client’s rehabilitation. Time off of a sentence does not end at the sentencing hearing. Christine will provide counsel and the client with information about programs available within the Bureau of Prisons that will enable the client to reduce the time off of the sentence imposed. 

" I cannot recommend Christine enough. She is personable, efficient, and a very hard worker. Her persistence led to the finding of a mistake made by the U.S. Probation Department that saved our client multiple years of incarceration. "

"Christine Fitzgerald is an outstanding federal sentencing guidelines expert. She is highly knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and consistently up to date on guideline changes. Incredibly smart and experienced, she is also extremely responsive and dependable, making her a pleasure to work with and an invaluable resource in federal cases. I confidently rely on her expertise and highly recommend her to any attorney handling federal sentencing matters."

"Over the course of my career I have had the occasion to work with Christine on several cases where she was the assigned probation officer, responsible for calculating Federal Sentencing Guidelines for my clients.  I have always been very impressed with her attention to detail, fairness in her calculations, and the support she gave for why she attributed or did not attribute factors that would affect a guideline.  Now that she is working as a consultant, I have used her on a number of cases and will continue to do so.  She never fails to bring up issues that prove valuable for my clients and she is also an excellent resource to bounce ideas off of.  She knows the guidelines, our Courts, and the people working within, very well from her twenty years working with US Probation.  Rest assured, Christine is the absolute best and will be an asset to any criminal case!”

"I have had the pleasure of using Christine Fitzgerald  on my Federal criminal cases and I wouldn't consider doing one without her. Her expertise as a former Federal probation officer is invaluable in preparing clients for interviews and in helping draft objections to PSR's. My clients really like working with her. She instills a lot of confidence in them knowing she once worked as a supervisor in the local office." 

"I have utilized the services of Ms. Fitzgerald in contentious civil and criminal cases throughout the federal districts of the United States, and I highly, highly recommend her services. She is incredibly quick to respond to short-notice requests for assistance. Her insight and advice are invaluable in highlighting issues that our firm should preemptively consider in plea agreement negotiations and motion practice. My firm utilizes her for our private and court-appointed clients, and she has direct impact on the outcome of our federal cases. She has, on more than one occasion, assisted our firm in cutting several years off of a client’s sentence. She is on our short list of experts and I enthusiastically recommend her services.” 

" If you are an attorney dealing with a very complicated federal sentencing guidelines issue, call Christine Fitzgerald.  Christine was a federal probation officer for more than 20 years, and she understands the intricacies of the federal sentencing guidelines.  Christine is detail oriented, hardworking, and dependable.  She also takes pride in her work, which is probably why federal probation made her a supervisor.  Hire Christine with confidence." 

"The absolute BEST!!! That is the only way for me to describe Christine Fitzgerald. She is smart, resourceful, and timely. With Christine's expertise, I know my clients are in the greatest position possible at sentencing."