BACKED BY EXPERIENCE
Cook County Federal Defense Attorney
Let a Published and Reputable Lawyer Defend You Against Federal Charges
Some types of conduct are criminalized at the federal level, which has a much severer sentencing range than the state level. From drug offenses to racketeering, federal law criminalizes a range of activities regardless of what state they were committed in.
The federal criminal justice system is a complex one to navigate, so you will need an experienced defense attorney to help you emerge unscathed.
Attorney William Wolf is a highly reputable lawyer with a track record of numerous acquittals and not-guilty verdicts, as well as work with the Innocence Project and the Board of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
He is also a published legal author of criminal defense papers, and he is a very well-accomplished defense lawyer with the education and case successes to prove it.
States crimes include any crime committed within the state, such as murder, theft, and sexual assault. Any crimes that involve federal interest, however, will be charged as federal crimes. More specifically, the following offenses are considered federal crimes:
- Interstate crimes – a defendant crosses state lines while committing the crime, such as kidnapping, or the criminal offense crosses state lines, such as illegal drug distribution across several states
- Crimes involving federal officers or federal land – examples include homicide in a national park, theft on a military base, or assault against a federal agent
- Crimes involving fraud, deception, or misrepresentation to the federal government – examples include federal tax fraud, Medicaid fraud, small business loan fraud
- Violations of immigration and customs laws – examples could be international human trafficking or importing illegal drugs
If a person has been charged with a federal crime, the case will be prosecuted by a federal attorney and investigated by federal officers (e.g., FBI, DEA, ICE).
If you have been charged with a federal crime, do not hesitate to contact an experienced lawyer like Attorney William Wolf. The federal criminal justice system is a very different process from the state system, and it is in your best interests to invest in a reputable and widely recognized defense lawyer who knows his way around federal law.
After all, who better to champion your defense than a lawyer who has worked with national non-profits like the Innocence Project and who has published a variety of criminal law papers on the criminal court procedure?
Whatever federal offense you have been accused of, contact The Law Office of William Wolf, LLC to get started on your defense. Free consultations available.
What Are Charged as Federal Crimes?
Federal Sentencing Guidelines
Federal crimes are punished according to a federal sentencing guideline established by the US Sentencing Commission. The court can use the guidelines when administering a punishment upon conviction, but the guidelines are not mandatory if the judge explains their reasons for deviating.
Each federal crime is assigned an offense level between 1 and 43. The higher the number, the more severe the crime is (e.g., first degree murder is Level 43, and burglary is Level 17). A defendant will also be assigned a criminal history category of 1 to 6 based on their record of past convictions and criminal activity, with Category 1 being for first-time offenders. The offense level and the criminal history category will then be examined on a sentencing table, and the intersection of the respective numbers will have the sentencing guideline range.
While each crime has a base offense level assignment, it is possible for this number to increase or decrease based on certain factors. For specific crimes, not all crimes, “specific offense characteristics” can increase or decrease the base offense level. For example, robbery, which has a starting offense level of 20, may increase 5 levels if the offense involved the brandishing of a firearm.
All crimes, however, are eligible to be adjusted either higher or lower based on the following factors:
- the offender’s actual role in the offense (e.g., if the offender was a minimal participant in the crime, the offense level may decrease by 4 levels);
- the obstruction of justice (if the offender obstructed justice, the offense level will go up 2 levels);
- whether there were multiple counts (other counts will increase the offense level);
- acceptance of responsibility (if the offender clearly accepts their responsibility, the offense level will go down 2 levels);
- victim-related adjustments (e.g., if the offender knew that the victim was vulnerable due to age or mental condition, the offense level will increase by 2 levels).
A crime may also increase by 3 offense levels if the offense has been shown to be motivated by hate (“hate crime”).
A judge can vary from the guidelines if it is reasonable to do so under the circumstances, but the judge must state in writing their reasons for providing an alternative sentence. Note that federal law provides that the judge should order a sentence that is sufficient but not more than necessary to accomplish the goals of penalizing the defendant.
Don’t wait to protect your future. Contact The Law Office of William Wolf, LLC today for a free initial consultation to learn more. Bilingual services in Spanish and Italian available.
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Decades of Experience
The firm has decades of experience and a proven track record of success in both negotiation and litigation to help those people in the most fundamental need of high quality criminal defense counsel.
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Core Fundamentals To Get Justice
Investigation, research, and strategic planning are fundamentals for the firm to help the accused face a balanced set of Scales of Justice.
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Your Best Chance
This firm knows that the only way for a defendant to have a chance against the power of the prosecutor is to have a hard-working, dedicated criminal defense lawyer at his or her side.