About Brandon, Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

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Federal criminal defense lawyer

Brandon Sample is a federal criminal defense lawyer at Criminal Center, an author, and a criminal justice reform advocate.

He is licensed in Vermont and practices federal criminal law nationwide, with years of hands-on experience in federal courts. His practice is limited to federal courts and federal agencies, so he handles federal cases only.

What federal criminal cases does he handle?

He handles federal criminal cases from the investigation through trial, sentencing, appeal, and life in federal prison. That includes:

Pre-trial and trial
Sentencing (giving the judge reasons for a lower sentence)
Federal appeals
Motions under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 and petitions under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (challenges to a conviction or sentence after it is final)
Sentence reduction motions under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2)
Treaty transfer requests (asking to serve a sentence in your home country)
Cooperation assistance
Compassionate release motions
Federal pardon and commutation petitions
Requests to change supervised release conditions or end supervised release early

For more detail on some of these topics, see Criminal Center’s other sites:

clemency.comFederal pardons and sentence commutations.

compassionaterelease.comCompassionate release from federal prison.

2255motion.com2255 motions to challenge a federal conviction or sentence.

sentencing.netFederal sentencing.

What federal civil cases does he handle?

Prisoner civil rights
Wrongful death
Inmate abuse and neglect claims
Federal Tort Claims Act
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act
Freedom of Information Act
Administrative Procedure Act
Inmate accident compensation claims

What is Prisology?

In 2013, Brandon formed Prisology, a national tax-exempt nonprofit that works on criminal justice reform.

On June 10, 2014, he testified before the U.S. Sentencing Commission for Prisology. He asked the Commission to make the “drugs minus two” change (Amendment 782, which lowered guideline ranges for many drug offenses) apply to people already in prison. The Commission later made it retroactive through Amendment 788, effective November 1, 2014.

Which courts is he admitted to practice in?

He is admitted to practice before these courts:

U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals

Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Federal district courts

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

State courts

Supreme Court of Vermont

He has also handled federal cases in courts across the country.

Education

Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, Vermont Law School
B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies, summa cum laude, Adams State University

Professional associations

American Bar Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Federal Bar Association
Vermont Trial Lawyers Association

Books and writing

He is the author of The Habeas Citebook: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, first published in 2010. A second edition, co-authored with Alissa Hull, Esq., was published in 2016 by Prison Legal News.

He is a co-author of Pardons and Commutations of Sentences: The Complete Guidebook to Applying for Clemency, with David L. Mathis, published by Prisology Press in 2019.

He has written articles for Prison Legal News and the Huffington Post, and a column for Criminal Legal News.

BooksBook details, ISBNs, and where to buy.

Talk to Brandon about your case

Book a consultation to talk it through with Brandon Sample.

Book a consultation

Common questions

Can he take a case in my state?

Criminal Center handles federal cases nationwide, and only federal cases. It takes cases from across the country. He does not handle state court cases.

Does he handle state criminal cases?

No. Brandon Sample’s practice is limited to federal courts and federal agencies, so he handles federal cases only.

Can family members talk to Brandon?

Yes. If someone you love is under investigation, charged, or already in federal prison, you can book a consultation. We can talk with family members, but we need the client’s permission before we share details about the case.

About Brandon Sample