Motion Requesting Standing Order Directing the U.S. Marshals — United States v. Edwards (Document 276)

Summary

Undersigned counsel's unopposed motion in United States v. Joshua Edwards, Case 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, requesting a standing order directing the U.S. Marshals to transport defendant Joshua Edwards to the courthouse for attorney-client meetings. It states that Mr. Edwards has refused to meet with counsel on several occasions at the Orange County Jail, including a video visit on May 13, 2025 and a visit on May 16, 2025, and that counsel has twice filed motions to withdraw. It states that Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels does not oppose and that the Marshals do not oppose if the visits are non-contact visits taking place when a court run is already scheduled, within business hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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“Motion Requesting Standing Order Directing the U.S. Marshals — United States v. Edwards (Document 276).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/court-filing-united-states-v-joshua-edwards-dkt-276-m-d-fla-f2dc010b6a/, SHA-256 262021add4b9db1c62783f98d3db5343802b21373810098ac116efb1b113afa9.

Full text

Case 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP Document 276 Filed 05/19/25 Page 1 of 7 PageID 1607

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
ORLANDO DIVISION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) Case No. 6:22-cr-201-WWB-LHP
)
JOSHUA EDWARDS, )
)
Defendant. )
)

UNDERSIGNED COUNSEL’S UNOPPOSED MOTION
REQUESTING STANDING ORDER DIRECTING
THE U.S. MARSHALS TO FACILITATE ATTORNEY-CLIENT
VISITS WITH DEFENDANT JOSHUA EDWARDS AT THE COURTHOUSE

The undersigned counsel for the Defendant, Joshua Edwards (“Mr.

Edwards”), hereby moves this Honorable Court for a standing order directing the

U.S. Marshals to transport the defendant, Joshua Edwards, to the George C. Young

Federal Annex Courthouse, 401 West Central Boulevard, Suite 2-300, Orlando,

Florida 32801-0230, for attorney-client meetings on dates and times that are

mutually agreeable to both the undersigned and the U.S. Marshals inmate court

transport schedule. In support thereof, the undersigned states as follows:

1. On December 7, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment

charging Mr. Edwards with various fraud offenses, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344,

18 U.S.C. § 1349, 18 U.S.C. § 1014, and 18 U.S.C. § 1546. See Doc. 1.
Case 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP Document 276 Filed 05/19/25 Page 2 of 7 PageID 1608

2. Mr. Edwards’s mental competency status was unresolved from the

date of his arrest on December 14, 2022, through March 31, 2025, when the Court

entered an Order adjudicating him competent to stand trial. Docs. 9, 14, 19, 124-

125, 209, 215, 242, 251. During this timeframe, Mr. Edwards underwent several

competency evaluations. Docs. 69, 71, 72, 96, 97, 121. Additionally, Mr. Edwards’s

first defense counsel was granted leave to withdraw based on Mr. Edwards’s

request for “another lawyer.” Docs. 128, 130.

3. Since the undersigned’s appointment on February 21, 2024, the

undersigned has had difficulties conducting attorney-client meetings with Mr.

Edwards at the Orange County Jail, where the defendant has been detained. On

several different occasions, Mr. Edwards has refused to meet with the undersigned

when the undersigned has gone to the Orange County Jail to see the defendant. In

addition, on a number of occasions, Mr. Edwards has refused to participate in jail

video visitation sessions that the undersigned has scheduled and attempted to

have with the defendant. Based on these challenges, the undersigned has twice

filed motions to withdraw as Mr. Edwards’s counsel. Docs. 146-47, 150-151, 252,

258, 264.

4. Most recently, at a hearing on April 8, 2025, the Court granted the

undersigned’s request to withdraw as Mr. Edwards’s counsel in this matter. Doc.

258. However, before the undersigned formally withdrew, Mr. Edwards’s

2
Case 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP Document 276 Filed 05/19/25 Page 3 of 7 PageID 1609

communication with the undersigned greatly improved and the undersigned felt

compelled to continue serving as Court-appointed counsel so that the defendant

could finally have his bond hearing and move forward in the case. Id. As a result,

the undersigned formally withdrew his previously filed motion to withdraw as

Mr. Edwards’s counsel. Id.

5. On April 11, 2025 and April 18, 2025, respectively, the undersigned

represented Mr. Edwards at hearings before the Court. Docs. 266, 269. At the

conclusion of the hearing on April 18, 2025, the Court ordered Mr. Edwards’s

pretrial detention at the Orange County Jail. Docs. 269, 270.

6. Since the last hearing before the Court, the undersigned has

attempted to have attorney-client meetings with Mr. Edwards, however, Mr.

Edwards has refused to attend these meetings. For example, on May 13, 2025, the

undersigned attempted an attorney-client video visit but Mr. Edwards did not

appear on screen at the scheduled date and time. Later, on May 16, 2025, the

undersigned attempted to visit Mr. Edwards at the Orange County Jail, however,

jail staff informed the undersigned that Mr. Edwards was refusing to meet.

7. As noted above, the undersigned has had extraordinary difficulty

meeting with Mr. Edwards to discuss this case. The undersigned’s inability to

meet with Mr. Edwards is particularly problematic now that the defendant has

been found competent to proceed to trial. The undersigned is awaiting a plea

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Case 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP Document 276 Filed 05/19/25 Page 4 of 7 PageID 1610

agreement from the government and a trial date is currently set in the October

2025 trial term. See Docs. 273, 275. Thus, it is imperative that the undersigned

have the ability to meet with Mr. Edwards to discuss the case and the defendant’s

options going forward. In the past, Mr. Edwards’s ability and willingness to

communicate with the undersigned has improved when he has been brought to

the courthouse for court proceedings. The undersigned is hopeful that having

the U.S. Marshals transport Mr. Edwards to the courthouse for attorney-client

meetings will greatly improve the undersigned’s ability to have effective

communication with his client.

8. Given the procedural history noted above, the undersigned wishes to

exhaust all possible options before seeking, for the third time, to withdraw from

this matter. To that end, the undersigned respectfully requests that this Court

enter a standing order in this case directing the U.S. Marshals to assist the

undersigned by transporting Mr. Edwards to the Marshals’ office at the

courthouse for attorney-client meetings on dates and times that are mutually

agreeable to both the undersigned and the Marshals. Specifically, the undersigned

will coordinate having these attorney-client visits on dates when the Marshals are

transporting prisoners from the Orange County Jail and can accommodate

bringing Mr. Edwards to the courthouse to meet with the undersigned. The

undersigned acknowledges that he is seeking atypical relief in the instant motion,

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Case 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP Document 276 Filed 05/19/25 Page 5 of 7 PageID 1611

however, the undersigned believes this is his best option for continuing to serve

as Mr. Edwards’s Court-appointed counsel in this matter.

9. The undersigned has conferred with counsel for the government,

Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels (“AUSA Daniels”), who does

not oppose this motion. Moreover, AUSA Daniels has informed the undersigned

that the U.S. Marshals do not oppose the relief requested herein so long as the

undersigned works within the established practices for bringing inmates to the

courthouse for non-court visits, including: (a) that the visits are non-contact visits;

(b) with the understanding that the Marshals will only bring Mr. Edwards to the

courthouse when there is already a court run scheduled; and (c) that the visit

occurs within the Marshal’s normal business hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The

undersigned hereby agrees to work within these established parameters for non-

court inmate visitations at the courthouse.

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Case 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP Document 276 Filed 05/19/25 Page 6 of 7 PageID 1612

WHEREFORE, the undersigned counsel, Andrew C. Searle, Esq.,

respectfully requests that this Court enter a standing order directing the U.S.

Marshals to transport the defendant, Joshua Edwards, to the George C. Young

Federal Annex Courthouse, 401 West Central Boulevard, Suite 2-300, Orlando,

Florida 32801-0230, for attorney-client meetings on dates and times that are

mutually agreeable to both the undersigned and the U.S. Marshals inmate court

transport schedule.

Respectfully submitted on this 19th day of May, 2025.

s/Andrew C. Searle
ANDREW C. SEARLE, ESQ.
Florida Bar No. 0116461
SEARLE LAW P.A.
200 East Robinson Street, Suite 1150
Orlando, Florida 32801
Telephone: 407-952-0642
Email: andrew@searle-law.com
Attorney for Defendant Joshua Edwards

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I HEREBY CERTIFY on May 19, 2025, I filed a copy of the foregoing with

the Clerk of the Court via the CM/ECF system. I further certify that all parties to

this case are equipped to receive service of documents via that system.

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