If you recently received correspondence from a federal investigative bureau or agency, this is known as a target letter and usually arrives immediately prior to an indictment. Receipt of this type of letter means it is imperative for you to meet with a federal criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible in order to discuss your options and preserve your constitutional criminal procedure rights.
As your federal criminal defense lawyer will explain, white collar crimes are no different from any other type of criminal violation in terms of your rights under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. constitution.
Under the U.S. constitution, private citizens are guaranteed protection from unreasonable search or seizure by government officials. Your criminal defense lawyer will monitor the course of your case to make sure the government does not overreach its search and seizure authority, and, in the event that the government engages in misconduct, your attorney will work diligently to suppress any unlawfully seized evidence.
In order for officials to obtain a warrant, they must apply to a magistrate or judge by presenting their probable cause. Probable cause is a necessary component to the warrant requirement in that it must prove to the judge that there is a strong likelihood of criminal activity, and that a further search is necessary to effect justice. Your criminal defense lawyer will carefully review the contents of the warrant, as the document must contain specific parameters relating to the documents to be searched or areas to be investigated. Any searches done outside of the warrant parameters resulting in alleged contraband may be suppressed upon motion by a competent New Jersey criminal defense lawyer.
If you have received an indictment, there is already enough evidence mounted against you to convince a grand jury of your involvement in illicit financial activity. Contact New Jersey federal criminal defense attorney Tim Anderson today at 732-212-2812.