Have you been accused of any federal crime? If so, you better be prepared to take action immediately. Prosecutors, district attorneys and authorities engaged in the process of identifying federal crime will often spend days, weeks or even months gathering the relevant evidence to pursue criminal charges against you. This means that if you already suspect you are under investigation, you need to take action promptly.
Waiting until you are arrested could increase the chances of making mistakes in your case and facing criminal consequences like conviction simply because you did not act right away. A criminal defense attorney is a valuable person to turn to when you have been accused of any federal crime. Furthermore, sometimes investigators may pursue multiple charges against you at the same time and in these cases, you cannot afford to let an inexperienced criminal defense lawyer work on your behalf.
A Queens federal criminal defense lawyer will understand the nature of the charges and the opportunities available to you to avoid life changing consequences. A federal criminal defense attorney in Queens can also evaluate the strength of the prosecution's evidence and whether or not it makes sense to pursue going to trial.
A number of different types of federal crimes may apply and you need to understand the nature of all of the charges in front of you as soon as possible. Some of the most common federal crimes include:
Having an overall picture of the circumstances associated with federal criminal charges is essential for your defense attorney. If you have already been summoned before a grand jury or believe that you are under investigation for fraudulent allegations, you need to ensure your lawyer is prepared to investigate the charges against you and advise you on the most appropriate course of action.
If an arrest warrant has already been issued by a U.S. magistrate or if a grand jury returns with an indictment, you could be given a date for an initial appearance or place under arrest. If this applies to you, you need to begin planning your defense immediately. The sooner you can connect with a lawyer, the better.
After a thorough review of the federal criminal charges applicable in your case, a plea agreement could be reached between the dependent and the government in which the defendant forgoes the process of a trial by entering a guilty plea. Some of the most common plea bargains in federal cases include:
Pre-trial proceedings and trials can be very complex if you do not have a criminal defense attorney at your side. Pre-trial initiates with discovery or the process in which the government and the defendant demand information and material from the other party such as statements from witnesses, lab reports, financial reports and investigative reports. This cumbersome process should only be handled by a knowledgeable lawyer. If you are found guilty or plead guilty, the court schedules a separate sentencing hearing for federal crimes.
The Office on U.S. Probation prepares a report in which a probation officer details any mitigating or aggravating factors present in the case. This will all contribute to the ultimate sentence you are facing. Most reports will also include a previous criminal record if you have it as well as your social history and your personal background. In all of these cases, the right lawyer makes a big difference.
Any federal crime comes with big stakes, especially if you’ve been accused of more than one charge together. The prosecution may pursue this route in order to increase the overall chances that you’ll be convicted of at least one of the listed crimes. Facing multiple allegations at the same time, even if some of them are for lesser crimes, is still an unnerving situation worthy of sharing directly with an experienced criminal defender who knows the system and the steps ahead of you.