Northern District of Texas (TXND) Federal Criminal Defense
The Northern District of Texas (TXND) handles federal prosecutions for Dallas, Fort Worth, and the surrounding counties, with most cases docketed at the Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas. Federal cases move fast — detention is decided within days, and guideline exposure takes shape early. Reggie London is admitted in TXND and defends federal cases throughout the district.
About the Northern District of Texas (TXND)
The Northern District of Texas (TXND) is one of four federal judicial districts in Texas. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecutes federal crimes in this district; defendants face indictment by a federal grand jury, prosecution under the United States Code, and sentencing under the United States Sentencing Guidelines as adjusted by 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors. TXND covers North Texas counties including Dallas, Tarrant, Collin (partial), Denton (partial), and 100 counties total. Dallas Division is the highest-volume.
Divisions within the Northern District of Texas (TXND)
- Dallas Division
- Fort Worth Division
- Amarillo Division
- Lubbock Division
- Abilene Division
- San Angelo Division
- Wichita Falls Division
Common federal charges in this district
Drug-conspiracy indictments (21 U.S.C. § 841), felon-in-possession (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)), wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), healthcare fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1347), bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344), child exploitation (18 U.S.C. §§ 2251, 2252A).
How federal cases differ from state cases
Federal practice runs on different fundamentals than state court. Indictment is the gateway — the grand jury process is one-sided and almost always returns a true bill. Discovery is governed by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16, the Jencks Act (18 U.S.C. § 3500), Brady v. Maryland (373 U.S. 83), and Giglio v. United States (405 U.S. 150). Pretrial motions practice is heavy: motions to suppress under the Fourth Amendment, motions to dismiss for insufficient indictment, motions in limine on Rule 404(b) evidence, and Daubert challenges to expert testimony.
Federal sentencing is its own discipline. The 2024 U.S. Sentencing Guidelines (as amended) drive the advisory range based on offense level and criminal history category. Defense counsel must build a § 3553(a) variance/departure package — mitigation, cooperation analysis under § 5K1.1, safety-valve analysis under § 5C1.2, and the sentencing memorandum that anchors the court's discretion.
Federal indictment or target letter?
Federal cases move fast. Call before the grand jury vote — the window to influence the charging decision is short.
Call (972) 370-5060Our federal-defense workflow
Three phases. Investigation/pre-indictment: respond to target letters, manage subpoena compliance, negotiate with the AUSA before charges file, evaluate cooperation versus contest. Indictment through trial: arraignment, detention hearing under the Bail Reform Act (18 U.S.C. § 3142), discovery, suppression motions, plea negotiations under Rule 11, trial preparation. Sentencing: PSR review and objections, sentencing memorandum, allocution preparation, supervised release conditions advocacy.
How a federal case actually moves through TXND
A TXND case usually starts with an initial appearance before a magistrate judge — in Dallas at the Earle Cabell Federal Building, or in the Fort Worth Division for Tarrant-based cases. If the government moves for detention under 18 U.S.C. § 3142, the hearing happens at that first appearance or within a short statutory continuance — three days on the defense side, five for the government. Detention is the first real battle of the case: defending from custody changes how every later decision gets made.
Pretrial Services interviews the defendant before the hearing and reports on ties, employment, and history. The report drives the judge's release analysis, so we treat the interview as a prepared event, not a box to check. Where release is realistic, proposing concrete, verifiable conditions — a third-party custodian, employment verification, travel limits — moves the needle more than argument does.
TXND dockets are heavy and the scheduling orders are firm. Discovery lands early — agent reports, wire and financial records, device extractions — and the guidelines start doing their work immediately: relevant conduct, loss tables, role adjustments, and criminal-history scoring shape the realistic range long before any sentencing date. The early defense job is triage with a purpose: identify the suppression and venue issues worth litigating, the facts worth independently investigating, and the posture — motions, negotiation, or trial — the evidence actually supports.
Division assignment matters in practice. Dallas and Fort Worth courtrooms differ in jury pools, pace, and local practice, and federal judges run their courtrooms their own way. Knowing those differences is part of defending the case, not trivia.
FAQs about Northern District of Texas (TXND) federal practice
What's the difference between TXND and TXED for my case?
Venue depends on where the offense occurred. TXND covers Dallas, Tarrant, and most of the Metroplex. Our office handles cases in both districts.
I got a target letter. Should I talk to the AUSA?
Never without counsel. A target letter signals you are the focus of a federal investigation. Anything you say can be used against you, and proffer agreements have hidden costs. Call us before any contact with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Will I get pretrial detention or bond in federal court?
Depends on the offense and your circumstances. The Bail Reform Act creates rebuttable presumptions of detention for certain offenses (drug crimes with statutory maximum ≥ 10 years, firearm offenses, crimes of violence). Even where presumption applies, the court can release on conditions if you rebut.
How long does a federal case take?
From indictment to disposition: typically 6-18 months for cases that plead, 12-30 months for cases that go to trial. The Speedy Trial Act (18 U.S.C. § 3161) imposes 70-day trial deadlines but routinely tolls for excludable time.
What's the cost of federal defense representation?
Federal cases are more expensive than state cases — more discovery, more motions, more expert needs, and longer timeline. We quote flat fees per phase (investigation, pretrial, trial, sentencing) so you can plan. Free initial consultation.