USA v. Lee, et al.,

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
AT KNOXVILLE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 	)
)
Plaintiff, 	)
v. 	) 	No. 3:24-CR-84-KAC-DCP
)
SUSAN AMIE LEE, 	)
)
Defendant. 	)
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
All pretrial motions in this case have been referred to the undersigned pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
§ 636(b) for disposition or recommendation as appropriate. This case is before the Court on the
Unopposed Motion to Continue Plea Deadline and Trial [Doc. 55], filed on January 5, 2026.
Defendant asks the Court to continue the plea deadline and February 3, 2026 trial date
approximately seventy-five (75) days [Id.]. In support of her motion, Defendant states that the
parties are in plea negotiations, and she has a plea offer under consideration [Id. ¶ 1]. She contends
that she needs additional time to complete a negotiated resolution or to prepare the case for trial
[Id. ¶ 3]. Defendant states that she understands that the time between filing this motion and a
rescheduled court date will be fully excludable for speedy trial purposes [Id. ¶ 4]. 	The motion
relates that the Government does not oppose a continuance [Id. ¶ 5].1
Based upon the information contained in the motion and because the Government does not
oppose the continuance, the Court finds the ends of justice served by granting a continuance
outweigh the interests of Defendant and the public in a speedy trial. See 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A).
In making this determination, the Court has considered the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C.
1 	Codefendant Kenneth Lee entered a guilty plea on September 17, 2025, and is scheduled
for sentencing on February 13, 2026.
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§ 3161(h)(7)(B). Specifically, the Court concludes that not granting a continuance would both
result in a miscarriage of justice and deny counsel for Defendant the reasonable time necessary for
effective preparation, accounting for the exercise of due diligence. See id. § 3161(h)(7)(B)(i)–(iv).
Counsel for Defendant needs time to engage in plea negotiations, and if those negotiations are not
fruitful, otherwise prepare for trial. The Court finds that all of this cannot occur before the February
3, 2026 trial date.
The Court therefore GRANTS Defendant Susan Amie Lee’s Unopposed Motion to
Continue Plea Deadline and Trial [Doc. 55]. The trial of this case is reset to April 24, 2026. A new
schedule is included below. Because the Court has found that the ends of justice served by granting
a continuance outweigh the interests of Defendant and the public in a speedy trial, all time between
the filing of the initial motion on January 5, 2026, and the new trial date is fully excludable time
under the Speedy Trial Act. See 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(1)(D), (h)(7)(A)–(B).
Accordingly, the Court ORDERS as follows:
(1) 	Defendant Susan Amie Lee’s Unopposed Motion to Continue Plea
Deadline and Trial [Doc. 55] is GRANTED;
(2) 	the trial of this matter is reset to commence on April 21, 2026, at
9:00 a.m., before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States
District Judge;
(3) 	all time between the filing of the motion on January 5, 2026, and
the new trial date of April 21, 2026, is fully excludable time under
the Speedy Trial Act for the reasons set forth herein;
(4) 	the deadline for filing a plea agreement in the record and providing
reciprocal discovery is March 20, 2026;
(5) 	the deadline for filing motions in limine is April 6, 2026, and
responses to motions in limine or due on or before April 14, 2026;
(6) 	the parties are to appear before the undersigned for a final pretrial
conference on April 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.; and
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(7) 	requests for special jury instructions with appropriate citations to
authority pursuant to Local Rule 7.4 shall be filed on or before
April 10, 2026.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
ENTER:
___________________________
Debra C. Poplin
United States Magistrate Judge
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