Few things in life are more stressful than being charged with a crime. If you have been charged with a crime, you will naturally have many questions you want answers to. Often, we find new clients will begin a meeting by asking questions such as: can I go to jail? can I be found guilty if I didn’t know that my conduct was illegal? or, what financial penalties are involved? can the government take my home or my retirement account?
The truth is that these questions are often unanswerable from the start, because an attorney will usually need to carefully review the facts of your case and research the law before he can make a prediction about your case. Nevertheless, we understand the anxiety that clients feel when they come to us. Therefore, on this page, we aim to provide some general information about topics related to criminal defense so that you can gain a basic understanding of how the criminal justice system works, the law governing some of the most commonly charged crimes, and what your attorney is talking about when he uses legal terms like “proffer session,” “sentencing guidelines,” or “the elements” of a crime. We hope that you find this information useful.
Remember, if you are under investigation for a crime or have been charged with a crime, the first thing to do is to consult a competent attorney. You should not rely solely on the information you find online, including information on this page. With that disclaimer, please click on the following to learn more about each topic.
- White Collar Crimes
- Federal Criminal Charges
- Bank Fraud
- Bribery and Illegal Gratuity
- Criminal Conspiracy
- False Statements
- Perjury
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
- Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA)
- Healthcare Fraud
- Money Laundering
- Wire fraud
- Time theft
- The Ins and Outs of Federal Misdemeanors in Federal Court
- Paycheck Protection Program Fraud (PPP Fraud)
- Federal Criminal Process
- Federal Arrests and Arrest Warrants
- Bail and Pretrial Release in Federal Criminal Cases
- Understanding Federal Criminal Discovery
- Federal Grand Jury Proceedings
- Federal Indictments: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
- Federal Investigations: What Everyone Should Know
- Guilty Pleas in Federal Criminal Cases: Frequently Asked Questions
- Subpoenas in Federal Criminal Cases
- Target Letters from Federal Law Enforcement
- What Makes Federal Cases Different?
- Understanding Your Fifth Amendment Right to Remain Silent
- If Your Home Has Been Searched By Federal Agents
- Should I Talk to the FBI?
- Federal Sentencing
- Federal Criminal Appeals
- Other Topics Relating to Federal Criminal Defense
Other Resources
To learn more about the various courts, organizations, and entities involved in the criminal justice system, we encourage you to also check out the official websites through the links below.
- Links to Federal Court Websites
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- Links to State Court Websites
- Links to other Agencies