Presenting Your Defense Against Federal Criminal Charges
It can take a long time to explain all the differences between the state and federal criminal justice systems. For the moment, it's enough to understand that if your case is charged in the U.S. District Court, it makes sense to work with a defense lawyer who understands these differences. Contact the Sprano Law Firm in Fairfax for a free consultation about your defense options if you face serious federal charges.
Call 703-763-0979 or 866-936-5614 for Advice About Federal Criminal Defense
In most situations, you're already at a disadvantage just by being in federal court. Instead of dealing with a local prosecutor and suburban police departments, you're up against an Assistant United States Attorney who might even have a longstanding specialized focus on the prosecution of cases very much like yours. The prosecution will be backed up by the accumulated resources some of the most effective law enforcement agencies in the world: FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS or Homeland Security.
At the Sprano Law Firm, our lawyers have extensive experience with the defense of federal charges, and we use our familiarity with federal investigation, charging, pretrial and sentencing practices to benefit our clients at every stage of the case. Because the opportunities for lenient plea and sentencing arrangements are much more restricted in the federal system, we know how to use our trial experience to strengthen your bargaining position. But whenever we can, we work to keep a case in the state courts.
State and federal jurisdiction overlap for many serious felonies, and your options for most of them improve if they wind up charged as state crimes. We know how to give local and federal authorities sound reasons for keeping Virginia cases in the Virginia system. Nevertheless, we can help you develop and present a defense whenever necessary for a wide range of federal criminal charges in U.S. District Court:
- Drug trafficking
- Drug conspiracy
- Money laundering
- Child pornography or Internet sex crimes
- Weapons offenses, most commonly felon in possession of firearm cases
- Fraud and white collar crimes like embezzlement or public corruption
Although you can't always expect to get advance notice of a federal investigation before being charged, it's a good idea to get defense counsel before the charges are formalized if you are aware of the possibility. Online sex crimes and Federal drug charges in particular can provide opportunities to develop a sound defense strategy before the case is presented to a grand jury, and an experienced attorney can help protect you from the most serious potential charges.
Find out more about the federal criminal defense practice at the Sprano Law Firm. Contact us in Fairfax for a free consultation.
