Posts by Lee Koch
What is a Writ of Habeas Corpus?
“Habeas corpus” is Latin for “you have the body.” A writ of habeas corpus can be an important tool in any criminal case. It is meant to protect your Constitutional rights. This writ is used to challenge any form of confinement or restraint which takes place in an unlawful manner, or to an unlawful degree. …
Read MoreHow to Tell If Your Phone’s Been Tapped
A phone tap is one of the signs you’re under federal investigation. And since it’s a good idea to hire a lawyer as soon as you know something’s amiss, it’s not a bad idea to know some of the signs that someone is listening in on your calls. These can include: Beeps, clicks, or static…
Read MoreWhat is Criminal Copyright Infringement?
While even a single pirated movie or software package could result in civil penalties, it usually takes a lot more to spark a criminal copyright case. That’s not to say you shouldn’t take these seriously. When the FBI takes notice of intellectual property violations they are relentless, and if you are convicted you can face…
Read MoreWhat to Do if You are an Immigrant Accused of a Crime
Immigration law and criminal law have been entangled for over three decades. And an immigrant accused of a crime has two things to worry about: whether jail is a possibility, or whether deportation is. This makes the situation doubly stressful. Knowing what to do and what your rights are can improve your outcome. You still…
Read MoreWhat is Deferred Prosecution?
Deferred prosecution can be one of the better case outcomes either at the federal or state level, depending on what you’ve been accused of, how much evidence the prosecution has, and what your alternatives are. Under a deferred prosecution agreement, the prosecutor agrees not to pursue a conviction if you will agree to certain conditions.…
Read MoreHow to Protect Yourself from Criminal Charges When You’re a Victim of Identity Theft
Adding insult to injury doesn’t even begin to cover it. Victims of identity theft already have so much to deal with: restoring their credit, putting out fraud alerts, getting documents reissued. But identity theft brings another risk, one that’s not always talked about. The risk that you’ll be arrested for a crime you didn’t commit…
Read MoreSmall Acts, Big Trouble: The Meaning of a Federal Conspiracy Charge
You gave your buddy a little money and now you are under arrest. Or you worked for a company and the CEO got into big trouble…and now you’re in big trouble too. What’s happening here? What’s happening is you’re being accused of criminal conspiracy, and depending on what the other person did you could be…
Read MoreTypes of Immunity in a Federal Criminal Case
If you watch a lot of crime television you’ve probably heard more than one fictional arrestee say, “I want immunity” to investigators. When they do, the audience understands he’s not going to be prosecuted, and that he’ll probably enter the witness protection program. But there is more than one type of immunity, and not all…
Read More5 Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Under Investigation
Unless you receive a target letter, it’s hard to know if you’re the subject of a federal investigation. There are some subtle signs. Certainly if you’ve done something wrong you should seriously consider you may be under investigation if you start seeing any of them. Any time you begin to suspect you are under investigation…
Read More4 Possible Defenses for Wire Fraud
Accused of wire fraud? The government thinks you’ve used a cell phone or a computer to intentionally scam someone out of their money, and that your activity has crossed state lines. Wire fraud is a federal crime. It’s an extension of the older mail fraud charge. Take the charges seriously, but don’t panic. There are…
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