govinfo:USCOURTS-pawd-2_24-cr-00259-0

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
 FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA 
 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ) 
) 
vs. ) Criminal No. 24-259 
) Judge Nora Barry Fischer 
CELESTINO PALMER, ) 
) 
Defendant. ) 
 
MEMORANDUM ORDER 
 
AND NOW, this 27th day of May, 2026, upon consideration of Defendant Celestino Palmer’s 
Motion for Furlough to Attend Funeral Service, (Docket No. 45), wherein he requests a furlough to 
attend the funeral service of his uncle, Mr. Herbert Palmer, or alternatively, asks that the Court 
permit him to at tend the funeral service from the Butler County Prison by videoconference 
livestream, and the Court’s Order of April 10, 2026 denying his prior request for a furlough to attend 
the funeral service for his great aunt but authorizing his request to attend by videoconference 
livestream, (Docket No. 42), 
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant’s Motion [45] is GRANTED, IN PART, AND 
DENIED, IN PART. For essentially the same re asons set forth in the prior Order, Defendant’s 
Motion is denied to the extent that he seeks temporary release from presentence custody at the Butler 
County Prison to attend the funeral service because such circumstances are not sufficiently 
compelling reasons to warrant temporary release given all of the facts and circumstances of this case 
and Defendant’s background and history. See e.g., United States v. Porter, 442 F. Supp. 3d 903, 908 
(W.D. Pa. Mar. 5, 2020) (citing United States v. Smith, 34 F. Supp. 3d 541, 551-52 (W.D. Pa. 2014) 
(“[m]ost courts agree that ‘purely personal’ circumstances do not typically rise to the level of 
exceptional.”); United States v. Wood, No. CR 21-385-23, 2022 WL 1689511, at *1 (W.D. Pa. May 

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26, 2022) (“Defendant has not demonstrated that attending his aunt's funeral service is a compelling 
reason warranting his temporary release under § 3142(i)”); United States v. Clanton, Crim. No. 21-
194, Docket No. 25 (W.D. Pa. Jul. 13, 2021) (denying motion seeking temporary release for funeral). 
 However, the Court will grant the request that Defendant be permitted to attend the service by 
videoconference livestream. See Clanton, Crim. No. 21 -194, Docket No. 33 (W.D. Pa. Jul. 15, 
2021) (granting leave to attend funeral service by video). 
ACCORDINGLY, IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Warden of the Butler County 
Prison and all other respo nsible officers are hereby requested and directed to permit Celestino 
Palmer to attend the funeral for his uncle, Mr. Herbert Palmer, via Zoom from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 
p.m. on Saturday, May 30 , 202 6. Defendant’s family shall be responsible for creating the 
videoconference invitation/log in instructions and counsel for Defendant shall provide the Butler 
County Prison with same as soon as possible. 
s/ Nora Barry Fischer 
Nora Barry Fischer 
Senior U.S. District Judge 
 
cc/ecf: All Counsel of Record 
 
Celestino Palmer c/o Andrew Lipson, AFPD 
 
Pretrial Services/Probation Office 
 
U.S. Marshal 

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