David A. Nachtigall, Attorney at Law, PLLC provides representation for individuals facing investigation by law enforcement and grand juries. For persons facing even early-stage investigations, effective counsel from an experienced attorney is essential to the protection of rights guaranteed by the law and U.S. Constitution. In more serious matters, it is not unusual for law enforcement to conduct thorough investigations before filing charges or presenting a case to a grand jury. In these circumstances, individuals may be contacted by a law enforcement agency or subpoenaed by a grand jury.
How Do I Know If I Am Under Investigation?
In many cases, a person will never know that he or she is under investigation. However, in certain types of offenses, law enforcement may reach out a suspect in order to speak with him or her or attempt to obtain information. It is common in allegations of sexual assault for law enforcement to contact a suspect to obtain the suspect’s “side of the story”. Speaking with law enforcement in these instances is almost never to a person’s benefit. If an officer believes the complainant, the officer will look for signs that a suspect is being dishonest and for information that corroborates what the officer already believes. While we may have a presumption of innocence in American jurisprudence, a suspect will not be given the benefit of the doubt by police. Unfortunately, a person rarely benefits from cooperating with the police.
Financial and other crimes often involve the use of grand jury subpoenas. A person receiving a grand jury subpoena may be the target of an investigation. Anyone who receives a grand jury subpoena should contact an attorney immediately to understand their rights and obligations.
What Should I Do If I Believe I Am Under Investigation?
Contact an attorney. Representation from a highly-qualified lawyer with experience in government investigations may determine whether the agency files charges or terminates the investigation. An attorney can help a the target of an investigation begin to develop a defense while the investigation is in progress and can help avoid unnecessarily providing information to law enforcement and forfeiting rights protected by federal and state law.
Board Certified criminal defense attorney David Nachtigall represents individuals and companies under investigation. Please read more about criminal defense attorney David Nachtigall’s qualifications and contact our firm to discuss how we can represent you during an ongoing or potential investigation.
Testimonials
contact form