Federal Grand Jury Proceedings

Federal Investigations and Grand Jury Defense

Prosecutions in the federal courts typically begin with an indictment returned by a grand jury, which receives testimony and documentary evidence from an ongoing investigation over a period of weeks or months in complex cases. If you have been contacted by federal law enforcement agents from the FBI, ATF, or DEA, or if you have received a subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury in connection with a criminal investigation, immediate legal advice can be advantageous. Contact a criminal defense lawyer at the Reeves Law Group for a free consultation about your options in any federal criminal investigation.

If approached by a federal agent, anything you say or do is likely to be used to your disadvantage, and the best response is to decline to say anything without an attorney present. If you are summoned to appear before a grand jury considering criminal charges against you or anyone else, it is also highly advisable to get sound legal advice about your obligation to provide testimony or documents.

Although your lawyer cannot be physically present with you in the grand jury room while the examination is going on, your lawyer can help you prepare for and protect yourself in any federal criminal investigation in any one or more of the following ways:

• Determine whether you are the target, the subject, a witness, or other person of interest in the federal investigation
• Work with the U.S. Attorney's office to clarify your status in the investigation, explore the potential charges against you, and lay the groundwork for your defense if necessary
• Advise you of your potential exposure to criminal liability, the information you need to provide to the investigators, and the information you can withhold under a claim of privilege or your right against self-incrimination
• Negotiate the turnover of documents, computer data, or other evidence
• Undertake an independent investigation of the facts that can indicate your lack of involvement in the offenses under consideration by the federal grand jury
• Work toward the resolution of the most serious potential charges against you prior to the indictment

A proactive and aggressive defense in the earliest stages of a federal investigation into drug crimes, public corruption charges, fraud charges, or other federal offenses can protect you from exposure to serious criminal liability, both on the main focus of the investigation, and on peripheral but serious charges such as making false statements or obstruction of justice.

To learn more about our ability to defend your interests in a federal criminal investigation before the charges are formally returned by a grand jury, contact the Reeves Law Group in Southfield.