What is a Federal Criminal Defense Attorney

If you are contacted by Federal authorities with regard to a criminal investigation, you must engage the services of a Federal criminal defense attorney to help you. Federal criminal law is an extremely specialized field of practice since most crimes are handled at the state level and there are only a very limited number of crimes that are considered Federal crimes, such as tax evasion and racketeering. Crimes that are committed across state lines, for instance transporting a prostitute from one state to another, may also be considered in violation of Federal criminal statutes and tried as a Federal crime.

Even if you are only called as a witness to testify before a Grand Jury, a Federal criminal defense attorney can also advise you as to what you can say and not say to protect yourself from being prosecuted. Keep in mind that even if you are not the direct target of an investigation, you may still be charged if it is determined that you have made false statements to Federal investigators. Aside from advising you, your lawyer may also be present when you are being questioned and may work out a deal with Federal authorities wherein you will be given more favorable treatment in exchange for cooperating with the investigation. In certain cases, your lawyer may even be able to secure for you a letter of declination, in which the US Attorney formally declines to prosecute you for a particular offense.

If you are engaging the services of a Federal criminal defense attorney, make sure you hire one that specializes in these types of cases and is experienced in all aspects of Federal criminal proceedings such as rules of evidence and procedure, as well as the Federal court system in general. Your lawyer should also be familiar with Federal sentencing guidelines as well as any recent Supreme Court decisions that may affect these, as well as with the US Attorney’s office and the agencies that led the investigation.