The trail that leads to white collar criminal charges is usually a lengthy one. The prosecution isn’t likely going to act on information presented to it unless there is evidence to back the claims that were made. In many cases, an investigation is conducted. The evidence gathered during that process is handed over to a grand jury.
Unlike the trial jury, the grand jury doesn’t decide if a defendant is guilty. Instead, the grand jury decides if there is enough evidence to warrant a criminal charge. The members of this jury look at everything during informal proceedings and give the prosecutor a recommendation about what they think should happen.
When the grand jury makes a recommendation, it is up to the prosecution to decide if he or she is going to honor that recommendation. Just because the grand jury doesn’t recommend charges doesn’t mean that the person won’t face them anyway.
We understand that having to deal with this process comes with a lot of stress and uncertainty. The knowledge that your entire life might hinge on this group of people is a lot to handle. We are here to represent your interests during this process. If the grand jury recommends charges and the prosecution agrees, we will continue to work with you on your defense.
There are a lot of unknowns when you are facing criminal charges. We can’t predict the future, but we can work to prepare your defense with your goals in mind. This takes time, so we should get the process started as early as possible; even during the grand jury investigation isn’t too early.
