Federal court is a challenging place to have to deal with a criminal charge and even more challenging to face it on your own. That is why you need to have a Minneapolis federal crimes lawyer by your side who knows how the federal court system works.
The federal courts are much harsher than the state courts. The reason is because the laws that are violated are laws that were adopted by the U.S. Congress. This means that the prosecution is harsher and so are the penalties. The penalties can be up to 3 times harsher than those set by the state for similar crimes. Sometimes individuals face charges by both the state and the U.S. government.
Federal Vs. State
The fact that the conviction could result in a more severe sentence is called the “trial tax.” This is something that a Minnesota federal crimes attorney has to advise their client of. There are some other key differences to be aware of and they are:
- Federal cases tend to involve serious felonies that cross state lines
- There are few federal cases that are less severe and it has to do with jurisdiction, such as Indian reservations and federal lands
Another key difference is that a conviction results in time served in a federal prison instead of a state prison and many federal crimes are non-violent crimes, but they can result in longer sentences than violent crimes simply because they are federal and not state crimes.
Types Of Federal Offenses
A federal offense is considered as such when it involves more than just the state the crime initially occurred in or was based in or federal laws were violated. White collar crimes are the perfect example of this, as they involve fraud, embezzlement, theft, and the violation of federal administrative rules and statutes. The fraud may occur in just Minnesota, but any time it is financial or something that defrauds people out of property, then it is considered a federal case.
Drug crimes are also considered federal when they involve drug trafficking and distribution. Even some of the smallest drug offenses find a place in federal court.
Bank robbery is considered a federal crime because of the financial aspect of it.
Finally, some sex crimes are federal offenses. Computer sex crimes, Internet sex with a minor, child pornography, and the larger sex crimes are federal cases. The smaller offenses are tried at the state level and are subject to state sentencing guidelines.
If you have been charged with any of these crimes, Kirk Anderson can help you by reviewing your case and determining what the next steps need to be based on the facts. From there, you know you will have an experienced attorney working by your side the entire time.
Minneapolis Federal Crimes Attorney
If you have been accused of a federal crime, the consequences if convicted could be very serious. This means you need to do everything you can to avoid conviction or the harshest penalties possible. This is done by using a highly experienced and aggressive attorney who is knowledgeable with the federal court system, federal law, and the way prosecutors for the U.S. government work. To learn more, call the Anderson Law Firm, PLLC at 952-582-2904 for a free consultation.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Please contact attorney Kirk Anderson for an initial consultation.