Reported / Citable
Background
Detrayveon Richardson was charged in federal court with violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. The defendant entered into a plea agreement and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge J. Boone Baxter for a Rule 11 guilty plea hearing. The magistrate’s role was to ensure the plea was knowing, voluntary, and made with full understanding of the consequences.
After conducting the hearing in the prescribed manner, Magistrate Judge Baxter issued a Report and Recommendation recommending that the district court accept the guilty plea and approve the plea agreement, and further recommend that the defendant be adjudged guilty of Count One.
The Court’s Holding
District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III adopted the magistrate judge’s Report and Recommendation in its entirety. The court accepted and approved the defendant’s guilty plea, along with the plea agreement (conditioned upon review of the presentence report). The court found the defendant guilty of Count One of the Indictment—violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)—and entered a judgment of guilty.
The order reflects the standard federal criminal procedure whereby a magistrate judge administers the guilty plea hearing and recommends whether the plea should be accepted, with final approval authority resting with the district judge.
Key Takeaways
- The defendant pleaded guilty to felon in possession of firearms under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
- The district court properly followed Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11 requirements for guilty plea administration
- The guilty plea and plea agreement were approved and a judgment of guilty was entered on Count One
Why It Matters
This case illustrates the federal criminal procedure framework for accepting guilty pleas in felony cases. The involvement of a magistrate judge to conduct the Rule 11 hearing ensures procedural safeguards that the defendant’s plea is truly knowing and voluntary before the district court enters judgment. Section 922(g)(1) convictions carry significant federal penalties and prohibit the defendant from ever legally possessing firearms.