Federal Criminal lawyer
Brandon, Jackson & Central Mississippi Lawyer
Being charged with any sort of crime is a difficult and emotionally draining experience. If you are charged with a crime in federal court, this experience becomes more demanding as the procedural rules are extremely complicated. It is crucial to your future to have an experienced federal defense attorney on your side.
Federal Investigation
Federal investigations can be very invasive and last for years. Often a federal defendant is not charged with any of the allegations that started the investigation, but instead charged with making a false statement to the federal government. You will want to be represented by a qualified federal criminal defense lawyer if:
- You or your company is the target of a federal investigation
- You received a subpoena calling for you or your business to appear or produce documents to a federal grand jury
- You have been approached by a federal investigating agency asking you to contact them.
Federal agencies often involved in criminal investigations include:
- FBI
- IRS
- DEA
- Marshall Service
- Secret Service
- Homeland Security
Federal Charges
Alarmingly an increasing number of regulations and ethical rules are now being treated as criminal offenses. Since 2000, Congress has created at least 452 new federal crimes. Examples of federal charges include:
- Mail Fraud
- Health Care Fraud
- Banking Fraud
- Bankruptcy Fraud
- Public Corruption
- Drug Offenses
- Weapons Charges
- Money Laundering
- RICO Violations
- Civil Rights Violation
Federal Sentencing
Being sentenced under the United States Sentencing Guidelines present a real danger to the uninitiated. The Guidelines are harsh and unforgiving if timely and proper objections are not made.
In state court, a recommendation for sentencing can be reached in a plea agreement between a defense attorney and a district attorney. State court judges rarely deviate from this recommendation. In contrast, a federal defendant must navigate the sentencing guidelines, even after pleading guilty.
To obtain the benefit of the guilty plea, every defendant must accept responsibility for the charge, yet if he or she says too much, a defendant's sentence or fine may actually increase. Without sound legal advice, on how to accept responsibility and a hundred other factors considered by the Guidelines, a federal defendant is at the mercy of those Guidelines.
To find out more about the federal criminal defense system, please contact the federal criminal attorneys at the Law Offices of Mel Coxwell. They will be able to answer all your questions and advise you on how best to protect your rights under the law. Mel Coxwell serves the people in the Brandon, Jackson, Madison and Vicksburg, Mississippi area.
Mel Coxwell, P.A. serves clients in Jackson, and other cities in Central Mississippi, such as Canton, Clinton, Forest, Brandon, Madison, Pearl, Ridgeland, and Vicksburg.
Mel Coxwell P.A. | 20 Eastgate Drive, Suite E | Brandon, Mississippi 39042