Federal Criminal Charges

Target Letters from a Federal Government Investigation

Published on: April 19, 2023 | by Barone Defense Firm

It can be difficult to know if you are under a federal investigation. However, if you are aware, there are several clues that you are under investigation by the Federal Government. One of them is the receipt of a target letter.

A target letter is a formal notification sent by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to inform an individual that they are a target of a federal criminal investigation.

The letter typically provides information about the nature of the investigation. This might include the specific crime or crimes that Government suspects you of committing.

Under Police Investigation But Have Not Charged in Michigan

Published on: April 12, 2023 | by Barone Defense Firm

freedom-1886402_1280-300x170 If you have reason to believe that you are under investigation for a crime in Michigan, it is in your best interest to seek the advice and representation of an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.

You may feel tempted to handle the matter on your own or wait until you have been formally charged with a crime. It is important to understand that the actions you take at this early stage can have a significant impact on the outcome of your criminal case.

If you are being investigated this only means that police officers are using many investigative tools against you as they are building a case. While you may not be facing criminal charges right now, you may well soon be notified that warrant for your arrest has been issued. You are better off hiring a criminal defense attorney now to protect your rights.

What Is Jury Nullification in Michigan? Is It Legal?

Published on: February 7, 2023 | by Patrick Barone

Jury nullification in Michigan can and does happen, which is when a jury judges the law instead of determining if a defendant is guilty of breraking that law.
Jury nullification occurs when a Michigan jury returns a verdict that is contrary to the law given them by the Judge. In a criminal case, jury nullification occurs when the jury, while believing the accused to be guilty, nevertheless return a verdict of not guilty.

Usually this happens when the jurors either don’t like the MI criminal law in question or don’t believe that the criminal law is being appropriately applied. When a jury does this they are thought to “judge” the law.

Jury Nullification Happened in Dr. Jack Kevorkian Trials

How to Write Effective Character Letters for Court Purposes

Published on: February 3, 2023 | by Patrick Barone

Michigam OWI lawyer Patrick Barone owns Barone Defense Fir m in Birmingham, MI. Here he discusses the age of consent (the legal age that a perron must be to have consensual relation with another human being. Your Michigan defense lawyer may ask you to obtain a character letter for court purposes. This article explains how to format and write such a letter. You can share a link to this article with those you ask to write such letters.

While there are many suggestions here, what’s missing is a sample character letter or a form character letter. This is because utilization of a form will cause all character letters to look substantially the same, and this defeats the whole purpose and is counter-productive. Use of such forms is strictly discouraged.

Character Letters for Use During Plea Negotiations

Embezzlement Lawyer to Fight Michigan Embezzlement Charges

Published on: January 17, 2023 | by Barone Defense Firm

Fraud vs Embezzlement. Any embezzlement or fraud conviction would be a “crime of moral turpitude,” which can block you from obtaining a wide variety of jobs. Plus, for large amounts pilfered (e.g., from a bank account, a church, or a charitable organization), up to 20 years in prison (state or federal) and fines of over one hundred thousand dollars may be ordered to be paid by the convicted person for felony embezzlement

Define embezzlement. For any person working in a job for a business, company, church or even a charity, and who has access to checkbooks or other electronic means of siphoning off money or charging to a company credit card, all of these can be how an embezzlement defined in an indictment may read.

Types of Fraud Charges. At Barone Defense Firm, our law group is staffed and prepared to help those facing embezzlement charges and other white collar crimes, including those who were acting in a fiduciary relationship (e.g., lawyer or accountant or bookkeeper frauds).

Safe Gun Storage for Michigan Gun Owners

Published on: December 30, 2022 | by Ryan Ballard

The news stories covering the extremely tragic school shooting in Oxford, Michigan has brought the issues of gun safety and gun storage to the forefront in the Great Lakes State once again. As the unfortunate story goes, it is alleged that 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley opened fire on his fellow students at Oxford High School on November 30^th, 2021.

It is alleged that he killed four students and injured seven others including a teacher. Crumbley is facing four counts of first-degree murder, one count of terrorism causing death, seven counts of assault with intent to commit murder, and 12 counts of possessing a firearm while committing a felony.

The Parents of the Oxford Shooter Are Also Being Charged With Crimes

Is it Possible to Avoid Jail on a Child Pornography Charge in Michigan?

Published on: December 27, 2022 | by Barone Defense Firm

Michigan domestric violence lawyer Patrick Barone explains the possibility of jail time. Michigan’s criminal charges involving child pornography are rigorously enforced and harshly punished. For this reason, avoiding jail time on a child pornography (or, Child Sexually Abusive Material (CSAM), in Michigan) case can be extremely difficult.

This is true whether the case involves possession, distribution or production of material that includes a child engaging in a sex act of some kind. If you want to avoid jail time for a CSAM charge, then it is important to hire an experienced CSAM child pornography lawyer.

Michigan’s Law Regarding CSAM are Complex

Finding a Federal Criminal Defense Attorney in Michigan

Published on: September 27, 2022 | by Patrick Barone

Michigan Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys

The Barone Defense Firm consists of some of Michigan’s top Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers. Lead Federal Attorney Keith Corbett is a former United States Attorney. He has been practicing federal criminal law for more than 35 years, and has received numerous awards for his skillful federal practice.

Federal Criminal Defense Team

Michigan CSAM and Federal Child Pornography Lawyer

Published on: August 3, 2022 | by Ryan Ballard

pexels-photo-1134204-300x207 There are many possible legal defenses available to a child pornography attorney. An investigation for the alleged possession, distribution, or production of a photo or video containing child pornography, can lead to charges in either the State or Federal Systems. Sometimes, you can be charged in both systems.

If you’re facing charges involving this material, sometimes called CSAM in Michigan, then you will need to hire a child pornography defense lawyer to avoid prison time and Sex Offender Registration.

Who Prosecutes Child Pornography in Michigan – State or Feds?

What to Know About the Sex Offender Registry (SORA) in Michigan

Published on: May 5, 2022 | by Michael Boyle

What to Know About the Sex Offender Registry in Michigan

When Is SORA Registration Necessary in Michigan?

In the past, many violations that would trigger sex offender registration were prosecuted under the old Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) even when the violation was a result of a mistake, ignorance, or unintended violations. If this has happened to you, then you’ll definitely want to hire a Michigan sex crimes attorney to help. Here is some more useful information for you to know about SORA: