USA v. Fletcher

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
AT KNOXVILLE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 	)
)
Plaintiff, 	)
v. 	) 	No. 3:25-CR-41-TAV-JEM
)
DEANDRE Q. FLETCHER, 	)
)
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
Defendant’s Motions to Continue Deadlines and Trial Date [Docs. 23 & 24], which he filed on
December 23, 2025.1
Defendant asks the Court to continue by sixty days the plea deadline and the trial associated
with this matter [Doc. 24 p. 1]. In support of his motion, Defendant asserts his counsel has been
involved in a good faith effort to resolve his case, but despite due diligence, additional time will
be required for counsel to communicate with Defendant who was recently transported to remote
detention in Laurel County, Kentucky [Id. ¶ 1]. Defendant also states a continuance will provide
the parties an opportunity to make a full resolution of the case and will serve the ends of justice in
that the need for additional time to properly prepare the case outweighs the interests of the public
and Defendant in a speedy trial [Id. ¶ 2]. Defendant’s motion reflects that counsel for the
Government has been made aware of the request and has no objection [Id. ¶ 4]. Defendant
1 	It appears that Defendant’s second filing is updated to reflect the position of the
Government, so the Court cites to that filing herein.
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understands his right to a speedy trial and that the time between the filing of the motion and the
new trial date will be excluded from his speedy trial calculation [Id. ¶ 3].
Based upon the information in Defendant’s 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.
§ 3161(h)(7)(B). Specifically, the Court concludes that failing to grant a continuance would both
result in a miscarriage of justice and deny counsel for Defendant the reasonable time necessary for
effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence. See id. § 3161(h)(7)(B)(i),
(iv). Specifically, the parties need additional time to conclude plea negotiations and, if plea
negotiations are not fruitful, the parties will need time to prepare the case for trial. The Court finds
that this cannot occur before the January 20, 2026 trial date.
The Court therefore GRANTS Defendant’s Motions to Continue Deadlines and Trial Date
[Docs. 23 & 24]. The trial date is reset to March 31, 2026. A new, comprehensive trial 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 of the time
between the filing of the motion on December 23, 2025, 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, it is ORDERED as follows:
(1) 	Defendant’s 	Motions 	to 	Continue 	Deadlines 	and 	Trial 	Date
[Docs. 23 & 24] are GRANTED;
(2) 	the 	trial 	date 	is 	reset 	to 	commence 	on 	March 	31, 	2026,
at 	9:00 	a.m., 	before 	the 	Honorable 	Thomas 	A. 	Varlan,
United States District Judge;
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(3) 	all time between the filing of the motion on December 23, 2025,
and the new trial date of March 31, 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 February 27, 2026;
(5) 	the deadline for filing motions in limine is March 16, 2026, and
responses to motions in limine are due on or before March 24, 2026;
(6) 	the parties are to appear before the undersigned for a final pretrial
conference on March 17, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.; and
(7) 	requests for special jury instructions with appropriate citations to
authority pursuant to Local Rule 7.4 shall be filed on or before
March 20, 2026.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
ENTER:
____________________________
Jill E. McCook
United States Magistrate Judge
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