White-collar crime is my featured topic for the month of June. As discussed in my previous post, white-collar crimes can involve powerful people, complex schemes, and of course, lots of money. However, many common misperceptions prevail surrounding white-collar criminals, their offenses, and the consequences. Let’s look at a few common myths in need of busting.
Read MoreCriminologist Edwin Sutherland coined the term “white collar crime” in 1939, and it remains the umbrella term to define crimes eliciting financial gain. Wearing a white collar means you’re a person of high economic status: someone who is invested in society with a lot to lose. Sutherland actually used white-collar crimes to prove how criminal behavior is learned from social phenomena. This translates into today’s world as well-connected people in power at large corporations commit many white-collar crimes.
Read MoreThe difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer can mean the difference between freedom, a prison term and yes—even a death sentence. Based on the severity of the situation, I cannot overstate the importance of selecting a seasoned, competent criminal defense attorney from the start. The longer a subpar lawyer works on your case, the less chance you have of achieving a favorable outcome. To save you from any potential problems, here are some warning signs to look out for when hiring counsel.
Read MoreImagine this. You come home from a long day at work, kick off your shoes, and absentmindedly sort through the mail sprawled on the kitchen table. Mixed up with the phone bill and a supermarket ad is a white envelope with the return address, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Unfolding the document inside, you read something that takes your breath away: You are advised that you are a target of the Grand Jury’s investigation. Anything you do or say may be used against you in a subsequent legal proceeding.
Read MoreYou’re facing twelve strangers, chosen to determine your fate in a court of law. You’ve prepared for weeks, months, and maybe years. Mountains of evidence, a good lawyer, and truth is on your side. Yet all of that preparation (and money) can amount to nothing if one seemingly insignificant detail is overlooked . . . what you’re wearing.
Read MoreWhen you’re accused of a crime, the stakes are high. With your future and reputation on the line, you must appeal to those responsible for deciding your fate. Now, I’m not going to sugarcoat it: going to trial is hard. While we like to say defendants are innocent until proven guilty, juror judgment usually gets in the way. My job is to defend your coveted liberties against the opinions of strangers in an otherwise cold courtroom.
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