How long can you be detained in federal

You can read the indictment at http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11762836/Avenues-in.... It alleges that the people named have committed murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to traffic in narcotics, narcotics-trafficking, robbery, extortion, money laundering, and witness intimidation. They are being charged as an "enterprise" of racketeers.

Federal prosecutions are very different from California state prosecutions. The elements of the statutes are, in my opinion, much more vague than those in the California codes. This makes it infinitely easier to get convictions. Moreover, be advised that the principal way the feds secure convictions is by the cooperation of co-conspirators, co-defendants, and unindicted co-conspirators. In many of these types of multi-defendant prosecutions, eventually the accused fall over themselves to give up information in order to secure a favorable deal.

Also be aware that the time credits in federal prison are much stingier than in California. In federal prison you get 54 days of good time/work time credits per 365-day year. Federal sentences are much, much longer than state sentences for comparable behavior.

Of course I don't know who your boyfriend is and what charges he is facing. But judging from my experience in federal court, your boyfriend is confronting a real challenge which he should not take lightly. Do not be surprised if YOU are "interviewed" by law enforcement concerning your boyfriend's activities. Nor should you be surprised if your home and car are searched pursuant to a search warrant. You should be thinking about how you would handle that if those issues come up for you personally.