Violent Crimes — White Collar Crimes — Sex Offenses — Narcotics Offenses

Federal criminal cases are particularly serious and involve a level of legal complexity that is uncommon to state criminal offenses. Likewise, federal court is a unique and demanding practice arena, wherein defense counsel must be well-versed in the nuances of an enormous body of federal law, including the Bail Reform Act, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and all aspects of constitutional law, or else risk jeopardizing clients’ interests. The greatest post-arrest mistake made by criminal defendants in federal court is hiring an attorney who practices mainly in state criminal cases and lacks the familiarity with federal law possessed by an attorney who focuses on federal criminal defense.

Ms. Hodde devotes her entire practice to criminal defense, focusing primarily on federal cases in the Middle District of Tennessee but also nationwide. Ms. Hodde is skilled in navigating all aspects of federal criminal law. For example:

• Ms. Hodde is able to knowledgeably oppose pretrial detention and advocate pretrial release for her clients under the Bail Reform Act.
• Ms. Hodde is an experienced trial lawyer with a solid working knowledge and understanding of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence and the relevant case law developments to assure the best advocacy through pretrial motion practice and a fundamentally fair trial.
• Ms. Hodde understands the complexities of the constantly changing Federal Sentencing Guidelines, and appreciates the significant impact that the United States Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Blakely, Booker, Shepard, Rita, Gall, Kimbrough, Begay, Alleyne, Descamps, Burrage, Johnson, and Davis have on the way federal courts currently use the Sentencing Guidelines and apply the provisions of 18 U.S.C. §3553(a).
• Ms. Hodde constantly studies new developments in the law and seeks ways for her clients to benefit from those changes. For example, she has extensively litigation experience with the First Step Act (making retroactive reforms to the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, easing mandatory minimum sentences, expanding the use of “safety vale provisions and other substantive changes) and nuances of the CARES Act.
• Ms. Hodde regularly litigates the significant impact of federal statutory and guideline provisions relating to career offender, armed career criminal, and the statutory minimum and maximum punishment enhancements under 21 U.S.C. §851.
• As member of various federal rules committees responsible to providing defense input into rule revisions, Ms. Hodde’s is keenly aware of the impact that changes in Local Rules of Practice and Federal Criminal Rules of Procedure have in active federal criminal cases.
• Ms. Hodde has the constitutional foresight to spot the important issues in a case and to litigate defects in the prosecution.
• Finally, as a regular lecturer and speaker on many issues relating specifically to federal representation, Ms. Hodde is constantly studying developments in Sixth Circuit and United States Supreme Court precedent that, in turn, enable her to have a keenly trained eye for spotting novel issues that may promote changes in the law and allow clients to benefit from future changes.

Kimberly S. Hodde is experienced in defending complex federal criminal cases. Federal law is dynamic and unsettled, and Ms. Hodde works with her clients to make sure they understand all aspects of their cases so that they, in turn, can make educated judgments concerning their legal matters. Given recent, significant changes in the law, it is important that the attorney you choose be steeped in federal court experience and current on the recent legal developments that have changed federal practice. Ms. Hodde also combines her fundamental knowledge about legal and factual defenses with a profound work ethic to structure winning defenses.

Nashville Federal Criminal Defense Attorney

Whether in federal court in Nashville or elsewhere in the Sixth Circuit, most cases involve complex facts and law and require organizing vast amounts of material, some of which, to an untrained eye, may appear to be trivial, but if found and recognized in time, could make an important difference in the defense of your criminal case.

Kimberly S. Hodde brings her exacting organizational skills to your case. If you have been indicted for a complex white collar crime, like Medicare, tax or bank fraud, your defense depends on your lawyer’s ability to sort through thousands of emails, forms, invoices, receipts and other documentation. Likewise, if your case involves wiretapping or the seizure of computer evidence (servers or hard drives), your defense will hinge on your lawyer’s ability to synthesize and understand vast amounts of technical information. Ms. Hodde is well-equipped to rise to the challenge of these types of cases.  She regularly handles cases involving millions of pages of paper documents and terabytes of electronic data.

Ms. Hodde combines an ability to manage complex legal processes with the human side of law. Whether clients are in custody, on bond or conditional pretrial release, she spends a substantial amount of time with each client. She listens carefully to the client and gets to know them as a person.  She carefully reviews the evidence with them and works with the client to form the best defense strategy possible given the applicable law and the information gathered through the defense investigation of the case. She makes certain that clients understand their full options and the rationale of her defense strategy.

Contact Us

To have a straightforward discussion about your case and to learn how Ms. Hodde can help you, please contact us at [link to email] or call us at 615-242-4200.

Ms. Hodde can be available for evening and weekend appointments. Ms. Hodde is mindful that you may not have budgeted for funding your defense; so, under some circumstances, she will work with defendants and/or their families on a reasonable payment plan. The firm is conveniently located in a freestanding building on Music Row, just one mile from the federal courthouse with abundant free parking. Contact Ms. Hodde at 615-242-4200.