In federal criminal cases, letters of support are letters written to the judge who will decide the defendant’s sentence.  They are addressed to the judge, and they ask the judge for leniency in sentencing the defendant.  They can be written by anyone who knows the defendant, and there is no limit on how many people can write them.  The letters are sent to the defendant’s criminal defense lawyer who collects them and sends them to the judge in a single packet.   The judge will read the letters of support before the sentencing hearing and will consider them in deciding the … [Read more...]