Chester County Federal Criminal Lawyer
Federal offenses are offenses that violate federal law and/or involve crossing state lines. If you have been charged with a federal offense, speak with a Chester County Federal Criminal Lawyer. A qualified criminal defense attorney could devote the time and resources necessary to achieve a positive outcome for you.
Prosecution of Federal Offenses
An individual charged with a federal crime throughout Pennsylvania and particularly Chester County is subject to criminal prosecution not by the local district attorney’s office, but by the local US attorney’s office. That means the federal government has decided to adopt such charges and/or prosecute in a federal court.
A matter in federal court, simply stated, means that most cases are much more serious, carry much more serious penalties, often mandatories in the federal realm, and the guidelines or the months of incarceration or supervision that a person’s faces are almost triple to local courts.
What Happens When a Case Goes Federal?
When a matter goes federal, an individual could be the subject of such grand jury investigation or federal investigation. An individual with any sort of knowledge that such is coming down the line should immediately seek out the services of an experienced Chester County federal criminal lawyer. Only then can a person know that any investigation involving them, their rights will be protected and/or their attorney will speak on their behalf.
Severity of Federal Offenses
Federal agents are serious agents; in no way is a federal crime ever a minor situation. Once a matter goes federal, that is, once the federal government gets involved in a prosecution, it is essential, and in some cases, the courts find it mandatory to have an attorney from the beginning.
However, the rules for being represented are very clear. An individual who has suspicions is the target of a federal investigation, and/or knows of a federal investigation and/or grand jury investigation must and should seek the services of a Chester County federal criminal lawyer immediately. In those cases, the federal government can take years to prosecute a case, and years to support and obtain information for such future convictions.
Where Federal Cases Are Tried
The federal government is broken up into certain districts throughout Pennsylvania, most cases being heard in Philadelphia at 6th in Market Streets in the main federal courthouse. However, depending on the location of the alleged crime and the specific US attorney appointed by the president in Congress to prosecute particular cases and run certain offices, other federal jurisdictions can be involved.
Harrisburg and/or Scranton are the most common ones surrounding the Chester County area. In those two federal courts, federal judges appointed by the president and confirmed by our government will sit in judgment of an individual charged with a federal crime and/ or matter.
As such these cases are the most serious and require the most service and some cases are the costliest to defend. However, in all cases, it is essential to have the right attorney to defend any federal matter in Chester County or any counties surrounding the area.
What Types of Crime Are Considered Federal Crimes?
Throughout Pennsylvania and particularly Chester County, the government has leeway to assume prosecution of thousands of types of crimes. The most common crimes that the federal government assumes are typically crimes involving serious fraud across state lines and serious narcotic-type cases. That is cases involving large quantities of alleged controlled substances where individuals are charged with trafficking and manufacturing.
Common Examples of Federal Crimes
Additionally, the types of crimes that are most common involve human trafficking, visa fraud, any sort of crime to a federal employee, such as an assault against the post person. Any sort of crime that the federal government chooses to adopt and has primary jurisdiction of, meaning, an individual can be charged and prosecuted with the same crime based on the same in both local state and/or federal court. Therefore, to protect an individual in all three courts, having the right Chester County federal criminal lawyer, given any sort of investigation, is essential.
Amongst the most common other than drugs are embezzlement types of cases, public corruption-type cases and any sort of case that involves large sums of money either being laundered and/or corrupt organization-type acts under the RICO Act. All of these crimes are serious and all of these crimes carry sentences sometimes exceeding life terms in jail.
Value of a Chester County Federal Criminal Attorney
Federal offenses can have serious consequences for an individual. They can sometimes result in felony convictions which could permanently negatively impact a person’s record. That is why it is important for individuals who have been charged with federal offenses to get in touch with a skilled defense attorney. A Chester County federal criminal lawyer may have experience handling federal cases in this jurisdiction and could fight tirelessly in a person’s defense.