Once you are alerted that you are under investigation, or under arrest, for federal charges, you need to take immediate action. Federal law enforcement agencies have extensive resources available to carry out a case against an accused individual. Not only this, but they also have months to prepare a case before even making the initial arrest. Schweitzer & Davidian has put together this guide of what you should do if you are facing federal charges.
1. Contact an Attorney
As soon as you are aware of the case against you, contact an attorney. With any criminal charge, you should contact a defense attorney ASAP, but especially so for something as serious as federal charges. You will want to hire an attorney that has a deep understanding of the federal court system and experience working with these significant cases.
2. Do Your Research
You don’t want to enter your case blind. Read up on the charges you are facing, how the federal courts work, steps to the federal process, and more.
3. Write Down Everything
Begin writing down anything relevant to your case.
Take note of:
- A timeline of events
- Any potential witnesses
- Alibis
If you feel like you are taking too many notes, keep going. It’s better to have too much information documented than too little.
4. Collect Documents
Collect any documents or forms related to your charges, like tax or insurance information.
5. Stay Quiet
Saying less is more. Be cautious about who you share case information with. Ideally, you should only discuss the details of your case with your attorney.
Also, stay offline. Anything you post on social media can be used against you. Even if your accounts are private, prosecutors have ways to access your posts.
Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers
Schweitzer & Davidian is here to help you fight your federal criminal charges. To get started on your defense, call (559) 206-2322 to speak with our Fresno-basedfederal crimes attorneys.