Public corruption cases are among the most severe, highly publicized, and most heavily charged crimes an individual can be charged with. Many times, these charges can be incredibly overwhelming for the individual accused, leaving them wondering what their future holds. As such, it is incredibly easy for an accused individual to make a mistake that ends up hurting their defense. For this reason, if you are facing such charges, it is pertinent to contact an experienced attorney immediately. An experienced lawyer can help guide you through the legal process and ensure you avoid any mistakes which could end up hurting your case.
Frequent Mistakes
The key mistake people make in Maryland federal bribery cases is that they try to talk their way out of a bribery charge. However, it is important to note that a person cannot talk their way out of a bribery investigation. Typically, someone is approached by law enforcement for an interview and they either do one of two things:
- Try to talk their way out of it. This is usually unsuccessful, and the individual will sometimes make statements that can potentially incriminate them.
- They make statements that are deemed by a law enforcement agent to be untrue, which then constitutes a separate federal charge.
Another common mistake many people make is thinking that they have nothing to hide. This will lead the individual to talk to the prosecutor, tell he or she what happened, and insist that they did nothing wrong. Unfortunately, that is not normally a viable defense strategy, unless there is video evidence showing that what the government believes happened is wrong. Overall, prosecutors are not going to take someone at their word that they didn’t do anything wrong.
First Step to Take
As soon as a person becomes aware that they are being investigated under a Maryland federal bribery charge, they should contact an attorney. The sooner they contact their attorney in one of these cases, the better off they will be. This is of paramount importance in these cases.
Often, a person becomes at least peripherally aware that they may be under investigation long before they are actually approached by law enforcement. For example, someone’s friend may tell them they got a strange phone call from the FBI. At that point, if the person has an inkling that they are under investigation, they should contact a lawyer. They shouldn’t wait for an agent to corner them in an airport, outside of their home, or in a supermarket. They don’t want to ever be in a vulnerable position in one of these cases. Contacting an attorney as early as possible in the process helps a person act from a position of relative strength that can protect them.
