Joint Motion to Continue Certain Pretrial Deadlines by USA as to Cortney Merritts — USA v. Merritts (Dkt. 27, D.D.C.)

Summary

Document 27, filed 11/13/25, in Case No. 25-cr-00076-JMC in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is a two-page joint motion by the government and defendant Cortney Merritts, through attorneys Justin Gelfand and Joseph DiRuzzo, to continue certain pretrial deadlines. It recites that Merritts was indicted on March 20, 2025 on two counts of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. 1343 with a forfeiture allegation, and has pleaded not guilty. Both sides filed motions in limine on November 7, 2025 and need more time to confer on the Joint Pretrial Statement and prepare oppositions. They ask for a one-week extension of the November 14 deadlines to November 21, 2025, leaving the January 12, 2026 trial and other dates unchanged.

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
 
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
: 
:  
 
v. 
 
 
 
:  
Case No. 25-cr-00076-JMC 
: 
  
CORTNEY MERRITTS, 
 
 
: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
: 
Defendant. 
 
: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
JOINT MOTION TO CONTINUE 
CERTAIN PRETRIAL DEADLINES 
 
The United States of America, by and through its attorney, the United States Attorney for 
the District of Columbia, and defendant Cortney Merritts, by and through his attorneys Justin 
Gelfand and Joseph DiRuzzo, respectfully submit this Joint Motion to Continue certain pretrial 
filing deadlines. 
On March 20, 2025, Merritts was charged in an indictment with two counts of wire fraud, 
in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.  (ECF No. 1.)  The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation.  
Merritts has pled not guilty to each count and has denied the forfeiture allegation. 
On June 27, 2025, the Court issued a Pretrial Order setting forth deadlines in advance of 
the January 12, 2026, trial in this case.  (ECF No. 14.)  In accordance with that Order, on November 
7, 2025, the parties each filed multiple Motions In Limine.  Oppositions to the Motions In Limine, 
as well as the parties’ Joint Pretrial Statement, are due on November 14, 2025. 
As part of the Joint Pretrial Statement, the parties have been ordered to include, among 
other things, a joint proposed statement of the case, proposed voir dire questions, proposed jury 
instructions, a proposed verdict form, and exhibit lists, to include written objections where the 
parties are in disagreement as to any of the foregoing. 
Case 1:25-cr-00076-JMC     Document 27     Filed 11/13/25     Page 1 of 2

2 
 
The parties are in the process of preparing the Joint Pretrial Statement but require additional 
time to meet and confer in an effort to come to agreement and resolve as many objections as 
possible before submitting our joint proposal to the Court.  The parties also require additional time 
to prepare oppositions to the filed Motions In Limine. 
To that end, the parties respectfully request a short one-week continuance of the November 
14, 2025, filing deadlines, and ask the Court to issue an amended Order requiring the parties to file 
(1) oppositions to the Motions In Limine, and (2) the Joint Pretrial Statement, by November 21, 
2025.  All other deadlines in the Pretrial Order would remain unchanged. 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
JEANINE FERRIS PIRRO 
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By: 
__/s/ Brian P. Kelly__    
BRIAN P. KELLY (D.C. Bar No. 983689) 
Assistant United States Attorney 
United States Attorney’s Office 
District of Columbia 
601 D Street NW 
Washington, DC 20530 
Office: (202) 252-7503 
 
FOR DEFENDANT CORTNEY MERRITTS 
 
Margulis Gelfand DiRuzzo & Lambson, LLC 
 
 /s/ Justin K. Gelfand  
JUSTIN K. GELFAND (D.C. Bar 90023996) 
1325 G St., NW, Suite 500 
Washington, DC 20005  
Telephone: 314.390.0234  
Facsimile: 314.485.2264  
justin@margulisgelfand.com  
Case 1:25-cr-00076-JMC     Document 27     Filed 11/13/25     Page 2 of 2

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