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Colorado Springs Federal Criminal Lawyers
Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer in Colorado Springs
Are you under investigation or facing charges for a federal offense like money laundering in Colorado Springs? A good federal defense lawyer will have your back. Learn why hiring a federal criminal defense lawyer will give you the best fighting chance throughout a federal investigation, indictment, or charges for white-collar crimes like money laundering.
Why You Need a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer
When it comes to hiring a criminal defense attorney for federal money laundering charges, not just any will do. You certainly don’t want to hire the same lawyer your family has hired for child custody agreements or basic divorces. Although low-cost attorneys are great for simple traffic violations, are they your best bet for a federal offense such as this? Probably not.
Hiring an attorney for any circumstance can be a frustrating and time-consuming process. That’s why, when you find a cost-effective attorney that does well with filing an amendment for child support, you may feel tempted to keep them around for any legal situation under the sun.
However, family law attorneys won’t be able to help you with federal money laundering charges. Much like physicians who specialize in a specific niche, a federal criminal defense attorney will help protect you and your best interests if you’re facing a federal investigation. Here’s all you need to know to help you find the right federal criminal defense lawyer to suit your needs.
Don’t Wait To Get Started
Getting an attorney early in the legal process gives you the best chance to fight pending or current money laundering charges. It is not unheard of for cases to last months or years. Don’t give the prosecution or District Attorney the advantage and hire your attorney early in the process.
Will Any Criminal Defense Lawyer Do?
Criminal defense lawyers have specialties like any other. Some know the law surrounding petty theft more than anything else, whereas other lawyers understand domestic violence laws like the back of their hand.
If you’re facing federal money laundering charges, you don’t want an attorney who has handled only local misdemeanor cases. When compared with local or state municipalities, federal law is an entirely different game.
How Much Does Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer Cost?
Most lawyers will offer a free or low-cost consultation for your convenience. Of course, hiring them is a different story. The actual cost of hiring a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer will vary depending on case complexity, length, and severity. Be sure to ask your lawyer how their billing works. Do they charge a retainer and then go up from there on an hourly basis, or are they willing to accept a flat fee no matter what the work entails? Some attorneys will charge various fees for filings and in-person representation.
What to Look For in a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer
Let’s face it; facing an indictment, investigation, or charges can be scary under the best of circumstances. The mere thought of federal criminal money laundering charges may be daunting and can cause you a lot of undue stress. That’s why, when you choose your Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer, you should look for a combination of qualities.
Verify Their Experience
During your consultation, you must ask how long they’ve been practicing and how long they’ve been working in your type of case. Ideally, you want an attorney who is respected and experienced in federal criminal defense.
Although verifiable experience points to a better chance at a positive resolution, not all respected attorneys have years of wisdom under their belt. In fact, some lawyers have been in the field for decades without winning a single complicated case.
If they are fresh out of law school, don’t despair. Keep in mind that their education is fresh, and they just spent years preparing for the bar exam. Ask if they will be working under the guidance of another attorney within their firm before making your decision.
Ask About Their Morals and Ethics
Don’t hire the first lawyer who says your case will be an easy win. A good lawyer will tell you that they cannot guarantee the outcome of your case. This honesty is the level of integrity you expect from an attorney, instead of falsehoods with the sole intention of taking your hard-earned money.
How to Choose the Right Type of Lawyer
Yes, even federal criminal defense attorneys have niches. You won’t fare well if fighting money laundering charges with an attorney who specializes in defending against sex crimes. It would also be challenging to combat a violent crime investigation when your attorney’s most notable work has been protecting large corporations against fraud allegations.
If an attorney doesn’t have specific experience in the finer details of your money laundering case, that doesn’t mean they’re not worth hiring. After all, it’s not necessarily about their ability to know every tiny nook and cranny of the federal statutes that are significant. An attorney’s ability to navigate the federal courts and successfully defend individuals in similar situations is what matters most.
Check Online Reviews
Reputation matters. Fortunately, you can read all about your attorney through online reviews. Check their website, business listings, and social media pages for mentions and ratings. Be sure to see how the attorney responds to the reviews as well. How they respond indicates the standard for how they treat their clients.
Navigating the criminal justice system can feel overwhelming and stressful, even if this isn’t your first time dealing with it. Don’t face federal indictment, investigation, or charges for money laundering on your own. The experienced, respected lawyers at Spodek Law Group are here and ready to formulate the best defense for your case. Go here to schedule your no-obligation consultation in Colorado Springs today.
Federal legislation in the United States makes certain acts illegal. These acts are referred to as federal crimes or federal offenses. Most federal cases are opened by agencies such as the Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service, or the Federal Bureau of Investigations. If you’re under investigation, you’ll face charges once substantial evidence is gathered. At that point, the United States Attorneys office will charge you. Federal crime charges are serious, and legal representation is recommended.
What Qualifies as a Federal Crime?
Several crimes are considered federal offenses. Carjacking, mail fraud, bank robbery, and tax evasion are all federal crimes. But some of the most common federal offenses include the following:
- Drug Trafficking
- Weapons
- Counterfeiting Money or Products
- Kidnapping
- Child Pornography
Generally speaking, federal crimes are those that can affect people or organizations beyond state boundaries.
The Importance of Legal Representation
When facing a federal criminal charge, it’s smart to have legal representation. This isn’t the time to take a chance by representing yourself. Dealing with the federal government isn’t an easy task. You have to remember they’ve had months or even years to build a case against you. You need an attorney who knows how to handle everything the Feds will throw your way.
Handling a federal case also requires a lot of work. There are motions to write, research to perform, and much more required to build your defense. This can include looking for inadmissible evidence, throwing out testimony, contacting expert witnesses, and suppressing evidence. Additionally, you’ll need to find witnesses to speak on your behalf.
A good attorney knows how to handle a federal case. No attorney can guarantee your freedom, but a good attorney will put up a good fight. And in a worst-case scenario, a good attorney will know how to advise you on the best course of action.
Colorado Springs Federal Appeals Lawyers
For many of the same reasons why a skilled and experienced federal criminal defense lawyer is an asset in the trial phase of a criminal case, the Colorado Springs appellate process can be much less intimidating with the assistance of a federal criminal appeals advocate fighting for you or your loved one. What makes this process especially foreign to criminal defendants is that the appellate judges make their decisions in chambers rather than in front of the court. They read and analyze the motions and briefs that the parties file to drill down on discrete legal issues to consider. This is very different from a trial where judges and juries listen to the oral testimony of witnesses to make decisions about the facts of the case.
What are the Major Differences Between the Processes of a Federal Criminal Trial and a Colorado Springs Federal Appeal?
In a trial, your defense attorney makes oral arguments to a jury and/or judge. In an appeal, a panel of judges reads the briefs filed by both sides and decides on the legal issues raised based on the research and arguments of the attorneys. The judges are not concerned with new evidence that the defense attorney may want them to consider. They are analyzing the record of the trial for instances of legal errors that entitle the defendant to a new trial or the reversal of his conviction, such as a judge refusing to admit evidence that would have been helpful to the defense, a judge allowing an expert to testify who was not qualified or the prosecution engaging in some sort of misconduct. Appellate attorneys spend a lot of time researching case law to argue their cases on appeal.
You may have the chance to give oral argument in an appeal, but the talking will be done by the defense attorney instead of the defendant taking the stand to testify like at trial. Witnesses will not appear at oral argument on appeal. Judges will ask specific questions about the facts and the law on appeal for the attorneys to answer in court. The judges will issue a decision in writing after all of the argument has concluded. It can take a long time to get word of a final decision.
Colorado Springs Federal Appeals Lawyers
If the final decision is not favorable, you can decide whether to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court or seek to have your sentence modified in some other way. Appeals to the Supreme Court can be expensive and are not likely to be heard by the Supreme Court.
What Possibilities Exist to Have a Federal Sentence Reduced or Modified?
Unlike a federal criminal appeal, a motion to have a sentence modified or reduced is filed in district court. It is decided by a district court judge and can be based on a variety of factors. It allows you and your attorney the opportunity to demonstrate to the judge why you should not have to serve the full sentence that was handed down.
What are the Immediate Steps to Take in Figuring Out the Basics of a Colorado Springs Federal Criminal Appeal?
Simply put, the sooner you speak with a federal criminal appeals attorney you are comfortable with, the better chance you will have of not missing deadlines or otherwise damaging your chances of a potentially successful appeal. Many defendants choose to work with a different lawyer or firm than the one who handled the initial phase of the case because appeals take a special set of legal knowledge, skills and experience. Given that federal criminal appeals revolve around the details of the record at the trial court, you need to give your attorney enough time to become familiar with the facts of the case and the proceedings below. Do not delay in beginning your Colorado Springs federal criminal appeal with the help of a trusted lawyer