Why Federal Crimes Require A Federal Attorney

 Defending Against Federal Crimes

While many people know someone who has faced criminal charges at the state level, fewer people have come into contact with the federal criminal court system. While there are a number of similarities between the federal and state criminal systems, there are also a number of differences. Due to these differences, it is important for people who are charged with federal crimes to obtain the assistance of an experienced federal criminal defense lawyer. The following will review some of the substantial differences between these two different criminal law systems.

Prosecutors Of Federal Crimes

Federal prosecutors are referred to as Assistant United States Attorneys and frequently handle fewer cases than state prosecutors do, which means that federal prosecutors are often able to devote more time to each case. In many situations, federal prosecutors work alongside law enforcement officers to pursue cases.

Differences In Judges

There are two types of federal judges that hear federal crimes. A federal judge can be a United States Magistrate Judge, which means the judge is appointed for a number of years and will hear many of the motions in your case. A federal judge can also be a United States District Judge, which means that the judge was appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.

Differences In Court Schedules

Federal district court judges often have fewer cases to hear than state court judges. For many people who have cases that will be heard in federal court, this means that only their case will be heard at that time. While there is always a chance in state cases that the judge will dismiss your case because the prosecution is not ready, this is less true in federal cases.

Differences In Bail

In state courts, bail is often a matter of gathering enough money to pay a bail bondsman. In federal court, however, a judge will frequently impose conditions on a person’s release. This means that even if a person pays enough in bond, the judge will impose conditions on his or her release.

Differences In Juries

It is almost always true in state courts that a jury pool is comprised of individuals who are from the same county in which the court is located. At a federal court level, however, jurors often come from the judicial district in which the court is situated. As a result, the jurors in federal courts are often much more diverse, which can often mean that federal jury pools are much harder to gauge.