If you or your loved one has been arrested for a federal crime, you may be worried and confused about where to start. It certainly is a sticky situation, but you need to face it with a cool head to avoid making regrettable moves. These tips will assist you make level-headed and favorable decisions as you work to pull yourself out of the mess.

Hire an attorney

Hiring a lawyer early helps you get the guidance you need to build your defense and shun little mistakes that could hurt your case. Ensure you are interrogated in the presence of an attorney to prevent potential violation of your rights.

Note that federal investigations may be carried out for months before charges are pressed against you. Consider hiring an Orlando criminal attorney immediately you learn you are being investigated to allow them enough time to conduct independent investigations and build your defense.

Do not speak to anyone about your case

Your lawyer is the only person you should discuss your case with. Anyone you talk to might be questioned by the investigation team, potentially revealing important details about your defense. Posting details about your case on social media is equally detrimental. The prosecution might take the posts and use them against you in court.

Basically, avoiding talking to people about your case shrinks the possibility of contradicting whatever is in your defense. What’s more, if the prosecution interprets whatever you say to your friends and associates as an attempt to cover up the facts, you could be hit with an obstruction of justice lawsuit.

Weigh the need to meet the investigators

If the investigators ask to meet you for an interrogation session, you have the right to say “no”. But then again, you don’t have to turn them down arbitrarily. Agreeing to meet them can convince them that you are not cautious about anything because you are innocent or didn’t contribute much to the crime to deserve prosecution.

On the other hand, the things you say, your demeanor, expressions, and movements during the interrogation session can cause the investigators to question your honesty. So much is at stake regardless of the decision you make. Consider taking the advice of your lawyer, who should know what either decision could lead to.

Do not believe the law enforcement officers

Law enforcement officers will do anything to get you to say what they want to hear, including lying. Do not take anything they say for it without consulting your lawyer. You could be promised freedom if “you say the truth” or be issued with subtle threats to scare you into contradicting yourself. Whatever you say here will be forwarded to the prosecution, so it is only wise that you share information that won’t affect your case negatively.

Summary

Regardless of the size of the case against you and what is at stake, federal cases can be detrimental to your criminal record. Consider hiring a good criminal defense attorney and handling each stage of the case with the seriousness it deserves.