White-collar crime convictions can carry severe penalties, including incarceration, restitution, and a criminal record that can devastate your career. With so much on the line, you owe it to yourself to build the best criminal defense possible.
While much of that will involve attacking the prosecution’s evidence, it also means avoiding common pitfalls that increase the chances of conviction. You don’t want to be your own worst enemy in your white-collar crime case.
Commonly made mistakes that increase the risk of a white-collar crime conviction
Investigations into white-collar crimes are often long and extensive. This means there’s a significant period during which you could make a crucial mistake. Here are some of the most severe that you’ll want to avoid:
- Discussing your case with others: When you’re under investigation you’ll be tempted to discuss your circumstances with those closest to you, including family members, friends, and co-workers. But even if you trust these individuals, they can be compelled to testify against you when prosecutors subpoena them to do so. Even if you think you’ve only made minor statements that don’t implicate you in the crime, your words can be taken out of context and used against you.
- Concealing, altering, or hiding evidence: You might think that you can escape suspicion by hiding or getting rid of evidence, but doing so very well may be considered a crime, and when it’s discovered that you’ve manipulated evidence, you’ll look even more guilty. If there’s problematic evidence in your case, you’re better off discussing how to handle it with your attorney.
- Allowing the police to conduct searches: In a lot of cases, those who are under white-collar crime investigation consent to a search of their home, their office, and their vehicle. This acquiescence might be an attempt to dispel suspicions, but it frequently leads to the seizure of evidence that the police otherwise wouldn’t obtain. Don’t do the police’s work for them. Require them to meet legal sufficiency to obtain a warrant before they invade your privacy.
- Meeting with investigators: You might think that you’ll look innocent if you cooperate with investigators but remember that they have an arsenal of tactics that they can utilize to get you to talk. Additionally, they might twist your words out of context and lie to you to try to get you to make incriminating statements. So, refrain from talking to the police about your case until you’re advised to do otherwise by your attorney.
- Misunderstanding the law: To obtain a conviction, prosecutors must prove every element of the charged offense. If you don’t understand what they have to prove, then you might unintentionally give them the evidence they need to prove one of their elements. Be sure to understand the law so that you know how best to protect your rights and defend yourself.
Don’t make an error that leads to your conviction
A seemingly minor error can lead to a white-collar crime conviction. If you want to minimize the risk the of that happening to you, then you need to understand how to build an effective defense while avoiding costly mistakes. That can be difficult to do if you’re unfamiliar with the law and criminal defense strategies, but don’t worry. Help is available. By being diligent, you can hopefully craft the white-collar crime criminal defense strategy that you need to succeed.