Many white collar crimes involve very complex investigations by various law enforcement agencies. Many of these investigations are carried out by federal law enforcement officers, because local police departments do not have the resources necessary to spend on these crimes.
Individuals accused of white collar crimes would then find themselves in federal court, facing significant penalties if convicted. While these investigations still are quite detailed, many of the cases are now being heard in Minnesota state courts. This has raised new challenges for defendants needing to defend themselves against these charges.
One of the biggest challenges facing these individuals is the lack of assets available to begin preparing a defense. Because many of these cases involve financial matters, those charged with the crimes will often have their assets frozen, pending the resolution of the trial. This can make it extremely difficult for a defendant to perform any investigations that may be necessary to help clear his or her name.
These cases often involve a huge paper trial which will need to be examined before trial. This careful review can take a long time to complete, and the public defenders handling these cases do not have the time to examine all of these documents.
Both Hennepin and Ramsey County have prosecutors that focus specifically on white-collar crimes. Ramsey County is even trying to obtain the funding for more attorneys to deal with these crimes. Both offices are able to rely upon experts from various federal law enforcement agencies that frequently deal with these types of issues.
Those accused of white-collar crimes may wish to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney about preparing a strong defense to the charges. An attorney can help these individuals understand the penalties that they may be facing, and help them make a decision on what is best for their situation.
Source: Star Tribune, “Boom of white-collar prosecutions spilling from federal to district courts,” Chao Xiong, June 18, 2013.