Philadelphia Federal Criminal Lawyers

If federal authorities are investigating you on suspicion of committing federal crimes, you should take it very seriously. Since being convicted of federal crimes can carry severe penalties involving fines and prison sentences, do not trust your freedom to an attorney who has little experience in these matters. In most of these situations, federal prosecutors will fight hard to gain a conviction, and will use all available resources allowed them by the government. Therefore, since the protection of your legal rights is the only thing standing between you and a conviction, it is best to use Philadelphia federal criminal lawyers who have experience dealing with these cases.

What Crimes Fall Under Federal Jurisdiction?
Depending upon the type of crime committed, you may be surprised to learn you will not be facing state charges, but instead federal ones. In many situations where law enforcement and prosecutors believe the crimes committed were of a particularly heinous nature, they will do everything possible to have the charges against you upgraded from state offenses to federal offenses. Common examples of crimes falling under federal jurisdiction include civil rights violations, counterintelligence crimes, public corruption crimes, tax law violations, drug crimes, and various acts that can be linked to organized criminal activity. Whatever the case may be, if you are facing these or other similar charges, you will need Philadelphia federal criminal lawyers who not only understand the scope of these cases, but who also know how to conduct their own investigations into the alleged activities and can protect your Constitutional rights throughout the process.

Government Threats and Intimidation
Once you are arrested on federal criminal charges, expect law enforcement and prosecutors to put tremendous pressure on you to confess and agree to a deal as quickly as possible. Since prosecutors always want convictions in these cases, they will pull out all the stops to threaten and intimidate you into saying or doing things that can put you in serious legal peril. Because of this, never agree to anything prosecutors or law enforcement proposes to you until you have spoken to Philadelphia federal criminal lawyers. Also, never allow yourself to be questioned without having your attorney present to advise you on what to say or not say to authorities. By working with experienced and knowledgeable legal professionals who handle these cases on a regular basis, you will ensure authorities will not be able to dupe you into accepting a deal that may ruin your life forever.

Federal and State Crimes
While states can prosecute anyone who violates their laws, federal authorities do not have quite as much leeway. Instead, federal authorities can only pursue charges in situations where criminal acts were committed on federal land, or when the crimes committed violated federal law. For example, crimes such as drug trafficking, immigration violations, or customs issues all fall under federal jurisdiction, since state lines are usually crossed during the course of these activities. In addition, when arrests are made for federal crimes, they are done so by federal agencies such as the DEA or FBI.

Penalties and Prosecution
As stated earlier, federal crimes carry much harsher penalties than state crimes. For example, while possessing only a small amount of illegal drugs may result in moderate fines or jail sentences on the state level, possessing larger amounts may elevate the crimes to federal levels, making large fines and long prison sentences a distinct possibility. To make sure you don’t put your future at risk, don’t rely on a public defender or inexperienced private attorney. Instead, schedule a consultation with experienced Philadelphia federal criminal lawyers to discuss your case.