Fighting a Federal Criminal Case
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If you have been charged with a federal crime, it might feel like the odds are stacked against you.
Before your indictment, you were probably under surveillance by a law enforcement team that dug deeply into your life. The FBI, DEA, federal marshals and/or police have the resources and determination to gather extensive evidence about your alleged crime. And a determined federal prosecutor will have a wealth of information to be used against you.
Your lawyer will fight for you even before your case enters a federal courtroom.
One of your attorney’s first steps will be to make discovery requests. They will ask for information that may include:
- Statements you made to law enforcement
- Phone tap recordings, videos or photos law enforcement may have gathered
- Statements made by law enforcement about your case
- Law enforcement reports
- Witness statements
- Lab reports
Your attorney will analyze the discovery to find out how much evidence the government has against you.
Based on what they learn through discovery, your attorney will try to get your charges lessened or dismissed. They will go for a dismissal if they believe there is not enough evidence to find you guilty.
They will scrutinize the discovery information to find inconsistencies or inaccuracies that can be used to discredit the case the government is building against you.
Depending on the circumstances of your case, your attorney may file pretrial motions such as a motion to suppress (a motion to exclude specific evidence from consideration by a judge or jury) or a motion in limine (a motion to exclude specific evidence from being used during a trial).
If your federal case goes to trial, your attorney will fight to protect the rights guaranteed to you by the US Constitution.
The federal court system is complex, and its procedures are significantly different from those in state and local courts. Most criminal defense attorneys do not try cases in federal court. It is critical to be represented by an attorney with a thorough understanding of the federal system’s unique sentencing guidelines and processes, because they will draw on this knowledge throughout their work on your case.
Questions? Contact us today.
If you are charged with a federal crime, the consequences can be devastating. Fienman Defense will fight tenaciously to protect your constitutional rights. We will guide you through a court system that can be complex and intimidating, and provide you with the strongest possible defense.