USA v. George

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
AT KNOXVILLE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 	)
)
Plaintiff, 	)
v. 	) 	No. 3:25-CR-60-KAC-DCP
)
MALIK GEORGE, 	)
)
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 Malik George’s Unopposed Motion to Continue Motion Hearing and Trial and Reset
All Deadlines [Doc. 37], filed on January 18, 2026.
Defendant asks the Court to continue the motion hearing, set for January 21, 2026, the plea
deadline, set for February 3, 2026, and the current trial date, which is set for March 3, 2026, and
extend all other related deadlines [Id.]. In support of his motion, Defendant states that he is being
detained pretrial in Laurel County Correctional Center in London, Kentucky [Id. ¶ 1]. He submits
that the Government and his counsel have been involved in plea negotiations but are in need of
additional time to work out the details of a plea agreement that would obviate the need for hearings
on defense motions and a trial [Id. ¶ 2]. Defendant understands that the period of time between the
filing of this motion for a continuance and the rescheduled trial date will be fully excludable for
speedy trial purposes [Id. ¶ 4]. The motion relates that the Government does not oppose a
continuance [Id. ¶ 3].
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
Case 3:25-cr-00060-KAC-DCP Document 38 Filed 01/28/26 Page 1 of 3 PageID
#: <pageID>

2
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 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 consider a plea agreement, and if that is not fruitful, to litigate
the pending pretrial motions and otherwise prepare for trial. The Court finds that all of this cannot
occur before the March 3, 2026 trial date.
The Court therefore GRANTS Defendant Malik George’s Unopposed Motion to Continue
Motion Hearing and Trial and Reset All Deadlines [Doc. 37]. The trial of this case is reset to July
14, 2026. The motion hearing is reset to March 17, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. 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 Defendants and the public in a speedy trial, all time between the filing of
the initial motion on January 18, 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 Malik George’s Unopposed Motion to Continue Motion
Hearing and Trial and Reset All Deadlines [Doc. 37] is GRANTED;
(2) 	the trial of this matter is reset to commence on July 14, 2026, at
9:00 a.m., before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States
District Judge;
(3) 	the motion hearing is rescheduled for March 17, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.;
(4) 	all time between the filing of the motion on January 18, 2026, and
the new trial date of July 14, 2026, is fully excludable time under
the Speedy Trial Act for the reasons set forth herein;
Case 3:25-cr-00060-KAC-DCP Document 38 Filed 01/28/26 Page 2 of 3 PageID
#: <pageID>

3
(5) 	the deadline for filing a plea agreement in the record and providing
reciprocal discovery is June 12, 2026;
(6) 	the deadline for filing motions in limine is June 29, 2026, and
responses to motions in limine or due on or before July 7, 2026;
(7) 	the parties are to appear before the undersigned for a final pretrial
conference on June 30, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.; and
(8) 	requests for special jury instructions with appropriate citations to
authority pursuant to Local Rule 7.4 shall be filed on or before
July 2, 2026.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
ENTER:
___________________________
Debra C. Poplin
United States Magistrate Judge
Case 3:25-cr-00060-KAC-DCP Document 38 Filed 01/28/26 Page 3 of 3 PageID
#: <pageID>