When someone is facing something as serious as a federal sex crimes charge, it is extremely important to hire a DC attorney who is experienced with federal practice. For cases brought before federal court, potentially long prison sentences are associated with them. Cases such as child pornography and online enticement carry potential mandatory minimum sentences. It’s very important to retain a DC federal sex crimes lawyer who has experience dealing with these high stakes cases, because they will know how to handle these cases and help their clients earn a favorable outcome.
The process of defending a federal sex crime charge is completely different from federal practice at the state level and can vary from state to state. The process can vary from county to county within a state in terms of the practice; the way the things get practically resolved. The federal system is completely different. Therefore, it’s crucial to have an attorney who is acquainted with federal practice in these types of cases.
Questions to Ask During a Consultation
During an initial consultation with a DC federal sex crimes lawyer, you should seek to find out what type of experience the lawyer has dealing with these cases. Are they familiar with the different issues? Are they keeping abreast of various developments in the law related to these cases? Have they worked with experts associated with these cases, such as forensic experts, computers experts, psychiatrists, or psychologists who deal with these issues? Again, experience in these cases is crucial. Someone who has never handled a case of this magnitude might not understand certain intricacies or complexities of a client’s case.
These cases deal with language that people are unlikely to enjoy hearing. They involve matters that make people very uncomfortable, with good reason. They are not the type of case that an attorney should take just because it’s available. Because the ramifications from these charges can be very serious and long-lasting, a federal sex crimes lawyer in DC should have interest in their client’s case. They should be actively involved in their client’s case every step of the way.
Investigating a Federal DC Sex Crime
The only real difference between investigating a state sex crime and a federal sex crime is that for the latter, a lot the potential offense conduct is done online. There are electronic communications and computers involved, which is where a lot of the complexities of such a case become involved. That is the only real substantive difference as far as the investigation goes. Investigators may start with these online communications and move on to talk to any of the people involved.
Building a Defense for a Federal Sex Crime Charge in DC
While defending a federal sex crimes case in DC, a lot of the defense is based on the online communications. It very important to investigate the online communications and to get all of it, whether the information is from Skype, e-mails, or text. A federal sex crimes lawyer in Washington, DC examine all of the communications to determine if there are any related to the charges. If computers are seized, they should be inspected because there is likely relevant information there. An investigation into a federal sex crime will usually begin with computers, if the genesis is from online communication.
From there, a DC federal sex crimes lawyer will talk to everybody involved. Often with online enticement cases, the person who is accused has been communicating with an undercover officer, so there’s no actual child involved. If there is an actual child involved, then an attorney would make an effort to ask the child some questions. Gathering as much information as possible from as many people as possible will help a federal defense lawyer build a defense.
