Federal Grand Jury Defense
As soon as you find out that you’re a person of interest in any federal investigation concerning narcotics offenses, drug distribution conspiracy, or white collar crimes involving fraud, it is best to contact an experienced and aggressive Kansas City criminal defense lawyer immediately. Contact my office in Overland Park for reliable advice about the defense of Internet solicitation charges or any other federal offense.
Unlike state criminal prosecutions that usually begin with an “on the spot” arrest by local law enforcement, federal crimes – especially major offenses involving drug trafficking conspiracies or large-scale fraud – are normally charged by indictment. That means that over a period of weeks, months, or even years, Federal agents investigate an alleged criminal conspiracy and collect volumes of evidence against those accused. Only when the case appears to be “air-tight” will an assistant U.S. Attorney working out of the United States Attorney’s Office present evidence to a group of people who are gathered to decide whether you should be charged with a crime. If they decide you should be charged – based entirely on evidence submitted by the government – their decision is drafted into a formal indictment. You do not have the right to be directly represented before a federal grand jury or to refuse to provide grand jury testimony except on Fifth Amendment grounds. You do have the right to hire an attorney, even before you are called to appear before the grand jury, and ask that attorney to do one or more of the following things for you, depending on the situation:
- Clarify your status as a target, subject, witness, or person of interest in the federal investigation
- Decide whether and how much to cooperate – and determine what you will receive in exchange for that cooperation
- Perform your own independent investigation to substantiate or possibly discredit the Government’s allegations against you, to determine your own criminal exposure, or to deflect investigative attention away from you
- Negotiate the discovery and production of documents and other evidence to the federal agents, thereby saving yourself a raid of your home or office
- Advise you about your grand jury testimony prior to your appearance
- Work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine if there is any way that the most serious potential charges in your case are not filed
But keep in mind – if you are under subpoena to appear and testify before a Grand Jury, you do NOT have the right to have your attorney present in the room with you during questioning. You may ask for a recess to consult with your lawyer between questions – and, absent a written agreement of immunity, you may invoke any Constitutionally based right to decline to answer specific questions.
“The Importance of Aggressive Federal Criminal Defense”.
I provide aggressive Criminal Defense of all charges in Johnson County, Kansas, Wyandotte County, Kansas, Jackson County, Missouri, and the entire Kansas City Metro Area including DeSoto, Gardner, Lenexa, Leawood, Mission, Merriam, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village, and Shawnee.