Extortion and Corruption Attorneys
Extortion and corruption cases are among some of the most public and controversial cases that get brought to court. The defendants involved are typically public officials or other individuals who are in the public eye, so along with the court of law, defendants also typically have to contend with the court of public opinion. Along with this, prosecutors tend to approach these cases with an eye toward deterrence. As with many other cases of white collar crime, the legal penalties for a conviction can be steep, including significant fines or even lengthy prison sentences.
When someone is facing criminal charges or even just an investigation into extortion or corruption, it’s vital that they know their rights and their options, that they secure competent legal representation as soon as possible. The right defense attorney can actually be the difference between fines and jail time and having your charges reduced or even dropped altogether. Unfortunately, though, not all legal firms are equal. Even attorneys with extensive experience at the state level will not be able to provide the level of expertise and skill necessary to defend you at the federal level. The Norman Spencer Law Group has the resources, team, and skills necessary to offer you the best legal defense possible.
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What is the Federal Extortion and Corruption Criminal Statute?
While there are a variety of charges that are covered under the umbrella term of extortion and corruption, most of these charges stem from what’s called the Hobbs Act. This act deals with extortion and interstate robbery. A more concise way to say this is that it’s a federal crime to commit or even attempt robbery or extortion that in some way affects interstate commerce. The issue here is that this statute can be (and often is) applied to a wide variety of charges, some of which are not always appropriate in every situation.
On top of this, in situations where extortion is involved, there doesn’t even have to be violence committed for this to apply. As long as there is some sort of intimidation or instilling of fear in the victim, the defendant can be brought up on criminal charges of extortion. Then when you add to this that prosecutors often pursue multiple charges for the same defendant, you can be facing severe legal penalties should you be convicted of extortion and/or corruption.
What is the Hobbs Act?
The Hobbs Act is commonly used to prosecute public officials, as the statute specifically covers obtaining property using the status of a public official. This can also and often does relate to payments that are made to public officials, especially when it relates to public acts that the figure does in their official capacity. This statute is broad enough to relate to things like bribery, corruption, and extortion, and the broadness of the law allows for prosecutors to hit defendants from a variety of angles.
Another important aspect to consider is that under this act, the public official themselves doesn’t actually have to benefit from the exchange. As long as some third party benefits from it, the public official can still be brought up on charges of corruption.
The Travel Act
The Travel Act was initially put in place to combat organized crime, but it’s since been used in a variety of criminal proceedings, especially against public officials. This act essentially criminalizes any use of travel or facilities in the commission of an unlawful act or acts.
This also means that prosecutors will tend to tack on criminal charges related to the Travel Act along with the Hobbs Act, resulting in charges that are compounded and penalties that are often severe. Along with stiff fines and restitution penalties, it’s not uncommon for public officials who are convicted to go on to spend years if not decades of their lives behind bars.
What Can Be Done When Facing Extortion and Corruption?
It’s not uncommon for people who are facing criminal charges of extortion and corruption to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of extensive media coverage, public demonization, and a trial process that could very well result in them spending the rest of their lives behind bars. The last thing that you need in this situation is to add on the stress of trying to find the right legal firm to represent you, one that will give you the best chance of success before trial, in court, and beyond.
A prison sentence doesn’t have to be a foregone conclusion when it comes to federal charges like these. The right attorney will fight your case before it even goes to trial, and could even get your charges reduced or dropped entirely before you even go to court. With something like this, you don’t want to choose the first legal firm you come across. The defense lawyers you choose need to not only be skilled at representing cases like yours, but they also need to have experience at the federal level.
The federal court process is entirely different from state court, and so an attorney’s strategy and approach needs to be tailored not only to the specifics of your case but also to the specifics of the federal process.
Why the Norman Spencer Law Group?
With a combined 70 years of experience among its group of defense attorneys, the Norman Spencer Law Group has the experience and expertise to successfully defend your case of extortion and corruption in court. We focus on 1:1 service that starts with our accessibility options. We provide remote legal consultations hosted through Zoom, Skype, or Google Duo, and if you need someone to come to you, we’ll make that happen too, no matter where in the country you might be. So get in touch with us today, let us know who you are and what kind of legal problems you’re facing, and someone from our team will get back to you as soon as possible.