USA v. Maxwell

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
AT KNOXVILLE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 	)
)
Plaintiff, 	)
v. 	) 	No. 3:26-CR-80-TAV-DCP
)
JUSTIN MICHAEL MAXWELL, 	)
)
Defendants. 	)
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 Justin Maxwell’s Unopposed Motion to Continue Plea Deadline and Trial Date [Doc.
16], filed on October 14, 2026.
Defendant asks to continue the November 17, 2026 trial date sixty days and to extend the
October 16, 2026 plea deadline [Id. at 1–2]. As grounds, Defendant states defense counsel has
scheduled an appointment to review evidence at the FBI office [Id. ¶ 2]. Defendant also requests
additional time for the parties to engage in plea negotiations and to prepare for trial [Id. ¶¶ 3–4].
Defendant understands that the time between the filing of his motion and the new trial date is fully
excludable [Id. ¶ 5]. The motion relates that the Government does not oppose the requested
continuance [Id. ¶ 6].
Based upon the information in Defendant’s motion, which the Government does not
oppose, 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
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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).
Defense counsel needs more time to review the discovery in this case and to explore a negotiated
resolution. See id. § 3161(h)(7)(B)(iv). If negotiations ultimately are not fruitful, defense counsel
will need time to prepare the case for trial. See id. The Court finds that all of this cannot occur
before the November 17, 2026 trial date.
The Court therefore GRANTS Defendant’s Unopposed Motion to Continue Plea Deadline
and Trial Date [Doc. 16]. The trial of this case is reset to January 19, 2027. A new trial schedule
is included below. Because the Court finds 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 motion on October 14, 2026, and the new trial date is fully excludable 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 	Maxwell’s 	Unopposed 	Motion 	to 	Continue 	Plea
Deadline and Trial Date [Doc. 16] is GRANTED;
(2) 	the trial of this matter is reset to commence on January 19, 2027,
at 9:00 a.m., before the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States
District Judge;
(3) 	all time between the filing of the motion on October 14, 2026, and
the new trial date of January 19, 2027, is fully excludable 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 December 18, 2026;
(5) 	the deadline for filing motions in limine is January 4, 2027, and
responses to motions in limine are due on or before January 12,
2027;
(6) 	the parties are to appear before the undersigned for a final pretrial
conference on January 5, 2027, at 1:00 p.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
January 8, 2027.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
ENTER:
__________________________
Debra C. Poplin
United States Magistrate Judge
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