USA v. Reed

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
AT KNOXVILLE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 	)
)
Plaintiff, 	)
v. 	) 	No. 3:24-CR-47-KAC-DCP
)
STEPHONE LEE REED, 	)
)
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 Stephone Reed’s Motion to Continue Plea Deadline [Doc. 27] and trial date, filed on
January 23, 2026.
On January 20, 2026, the undersigned granted Defendant’s request to extend the January
16, 2026 plea deadline to January 26, 2026, to permit time for defense counsel to meet with
Defendant Reed to review and sign a plea offer [Doc. 26; see Doc. 25]. Defendant now asks the
Court for an additional seven-day extension of the plea deadline because counsel was unable to
secure an appointment to meet with Defendant at the Laurel County Correctional Center (“LCCC”)
in Kentucky until January 27, 2026 [Doc. 27 ¶¶ 2–3]. Counsel also expresses concern that the
recent inclement weather will affect her travel to LCCC [Id. ¶ 3]. Although counsel believes the
parties will have a signed plea agreement before the February 17, 2026 trial date, Defendant also
requests a thirty-day trial continuance, if necessary, to allow time for the case to be resolved by a
guilty plea [Id. ¶ 4]. The motion relates that Defendant understands his right to a speedy trial and
that the time between filing this motion and a rescheduled court date will be fully excludable for
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speedy trial purposes [Id. ¶ 5]. Counsel for the Government confirmed by email that the
Government does not oppose a continuance of the plea deadline or trial date.
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.
§ 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).
Defense counsel needs time to meet with Defendant to finalize a plea agreement and if
circumstances change, will need time to prepare for trial. The Court finds that all of this cannot
occur before the February 17, 2026 trial date.
The Court therefore GRANTS Defendant Stephone Reed’s Motion to Continue Plea
Deadline [Doc. 27] and trial date. The trial of this case is reset to March 3, 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 motion on January 23, 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’s Motion to Continue Plea Deadline [Doc. 27] and trial
date is GRANTED;
(2) 	the trial of this matter is reset to commence on March 3, 2026, at
9:00 a.m., before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States
District Judge;
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(3) 	all time between the filing of the motion on January 23, 2026, and
the new trial date of March 3, 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 3, 2026;
(5) 	the deadline for filing motions in limine is February 17, 2026, and
responses to motions in limine or due on or before February
24, 2026;
(6) 	the parties are to appear before the undersigned for a final pretrial
conference on February 17, 2026, at 1:30 p.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
February 20, 2026.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
ENTER:
___________________________
Debra C. Poplin
United States Magistrate Judge
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