Los Angeles Federal Crimes Attorney

The criminal justice system is divided between the State and Federal court systems, each with their own set of laws and procedures. In contrast to California state laws, the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 strictly prohibits the use or possession of marijuana in all circumstances. The Act names marijuana as a “Schedule I” drug, claiming it has great potential for abuse and lacks medicinal value.

Los Angeles Federal Drug Crime Attorney

Under Federal law, you could be facing a fine of $1000 for possession of a small amount of marijuana and up to life in federal prison for a second possession of methamphetamine conviction. Clearly federal drug charges are serious and can often have a more devastating impact than state law violations; they can also be charged in addition to state charges, creating a total sentencing nightmare.

At Spiga & Associates, we appreciate the severity of federal drug charges and we are here to help ease the stress that accompanies these legal attacks. We are also skilled defenders of California drug charges, including possession, sale, and distribution of marijuana. Call us now and we will do everything in our power to keep you out of prison and protect your Constitutional rights.

Los Angeles White Collar Crimes Attorney

White collar crimes are generally defined as business motivated non-violent offenses, often involving cheating or dishonesty with respect to money and business transactions.  The term "white collar crime" was first coined by Edwin Sutherland, a criminology expert and sociologist, based on his belief that people who are surrounded by criminal activity are more likely to commit crimes themselves.

White collar crimes include a broad range of crimes that can be generally described as nonviolent, deceptive acts perpetrated by a business, person or public official. Some of the more common examples of white collar crimes are blackmail, bribery, fraud, embezzlement, racketeering and insider trading.

Depending on the seriousness of the crime and which laws were broken, the case could be tried in federal court. The typical penalties for white collar crimes are jail time, excessive fines and restitution to the victims. One major issue with white collar crime cases is the number of charges against the accused.  For example, Bernie Madoff was eventually convicted of 11 counts of various types of fraud, and was sentenced to 150 years in prison. California courts, as well as the federal government, are dedicated to fighting this type of crime because, although it is non-violent, it can have such terrible consequences for the victims.  Because white collar crimes often require a significant amount of time and tedious detail, hiring an experienced, responsible legal representative is crucial to effectively defending your freedom.

Internet Crimes Lawyer

As the internet becomes a part of our everyday lives, there are consequently more crimes committed on the internet. Clearly, the term internet crime covers a wide range of offenses that vary in seriousness. Some of the crimes included under this umbrella term are virus distributing, fraud, identity theft, stalking, phishing and child pornography. Sometimes these types of internet crimes are found to be linked to the more serious offenses such as kidnapping and sexual abuse of a minor.

California lawmakers are desperately trying to keep the internet safe by being tough on individuals being charged with an internet crime. Internet crimes can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony in California depending on the circumstances, and there is a possibility of facing jail time in some instances. Early intervention by Spiga & Associates is essential to effectively defending your freedom when you’ve been charged with an internet crime.