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Federal criminal conduct usually falls under one of seven categories, which are similar to those found in State Courts. The seven categories of federal crimes are as follows:
Appeals
During California State criminal prosecution, decisions can be made which affect the rights of a defendant. This includes a judge's decisions to grant or deny a suppression motion, motion to dismiss due to issues with a jurisdiction, demurrer, or whether a judge will recuse themselves. The jury will be asked to make crucial decisions if the case proceeds to trial, where they will have to render a verdict of guilty or not guilty. Many of these decisions made by a judge or jury can be appealed to a higher court or even to a Federal court. Appellate jurisdiction refers to the authority of a higher court to review, correct, or overturn a lower court's decision.
Fraud and Theft
This category involves those cases commonly referred to as white collar crimes. The offenses most commonly charged under this category include: concealing assets during a bankruptcy; filing a false claim for postal or pension loss; possessing false papers in order to defraud the United States; making false credit applications; bank and deposit account fraud; using a computer, radio, or television to commit a fraud against another; and money laundering.
Sex Offenses
The main four federal sex offenses are sexual abuse; aggravated sexual abuse; sexual abuse of a minor or ward; and abusive sexual contact. In all of these cases, the matter can only be prosecuted in federal court if either the alleged criminal act occurred on federal property or the parties involved in the crime traveled or communicated over state lines.
Child Pornography
The majority of these federal offenses involve trafficking, selling, distributing, or possessing child pornography through the use of computers and the internet. Because computers and the internet are almost always a part of these cases, your defense lawyer must have experience with how computers and the internet work.
Firearm Offenses
The most common federal firearms violations are Felons in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of an Illegal or Unregistered Firearm; and Using or Carrying a Firearm during a Drug Trafficking Offense.
Violent Crimes
Some of the most common of these offenses prosecuted in federal court are murder, manslaughter, and assault (these become federal cases when it is alleged the crime occurred on federal property or on the high seas; kidnapping (transporting the victim over state lines makes it a federal case); robbery (the alleged criminal act must interfere with “interstate commerce” in order for it to be a federal matter); and bank robbery (this is a federal case because the bank's money is protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation).
Federal Drug Offenses
Most of these offenses involve selling, manufacturing or distributing marijuana, cocaine or other illegal substances, and the criminal elements are similar to those found under state law. Most federal drug offenses involve the transportation of narcotics or marijuana over state lines. This may involve transporting the drugs from one state to another in a motor vehicle or other means of transportation.
Other Federal Offenses
- Abusive Sexual Contact
- Aiding and Abetting
- Aircraft in Flight
- Alien Smuggling
- Antitrust Laws
- Armed Robbery
- Bail and Pretrial Release
- Bail Denial
- Bank Robbery
- Bank Secrecy Act
- Blackmail and Extortion
- Bribery
- Campaign Finance Violations
- Clayton Act
- Computer Crimes
- Conceal Person From Arrest
- Concealment of Assets
- Conspiracy/RICO Crimes
- Conveying False Information
- Counterfeiting Money
- Corporate Fraud
- Criminal Informant
- Criminal Investigations
- Customs Offenses
- Destroy Audit Records
- Discovery Process
- DUI
- Pretrial Motions
- Downward Departures
- Economic Espionage
- Election Law Crimes
- Environmental Crimes
- Escape
- Extradition
- Extortion Proceeds
- Failure to Appear
- False Statements
- False Tax Return
- Federal Warrants
- Felon with a Firearm
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
- Forfeiture and Seizure
- Gang Crimes
- Grand Jury Representation
- Habeas Corpus
- Honest Services Fraud
- Human Trafficking
- Indictments
- Identity Theft
- Immigration Crimes
- International Drug Crimes
- Insurance Fraud
- Insider Trading
- Investment Fraud
- Credit Card Fraud
- Internet Offenses
- Juvenile Solitary Confinement
- Kidnapping
- Mail Theft
- Manslaughter
- Monetary Transactions in Property
- Motion to Compel Discovery
- Murder
- Obstruction of Criminal Investigation
- Obstruction of Justice
- Partial-Birth Abortion
- Presentence Report
- Possession of False Papers
- Probation Violation
- Public Corruption
- Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes
- Racketeering Activity
- Securities Fraud
- Sentence Reductions
- Sentencing Guidelines
- Sentencing Memorandum
- Sexual Assault
- Sex Crimes
- Smuggling Goods
- Speedy Trial
- Stalking
- Tax Evasion
- Telemarketing Fraud
- Theft of Government Property
- Theft of Trade Secrets
- Transport Stolen Property
- White Collar Crimes
- Hobbs Act
- Chop Shop
- Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business
- Witness Tampering
- Workers' Compensation Fraud
The stark reality is that acquittals in federal criminal cases are exceedingly rare, which should underscore your situation's seriousness. If you were arrested and charged with a federal crime, please call our law firm at 877-781-1570 or fill out online contact form to request a paid case review.
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