Do Not Speak to Officers without a Lawyer Present
Video Transcribed: You or a loved one is the target of a federal investigation. What happens next? My name’s Ted Hasse. I’m a Tulsa federal defense attorney handling federal criminal matters in Oklahoma.
I have addressed this issue before, but I want to come back to it again because it’s just the most important thing that people can know when they’re heading into this process, when you’re involved in federal courts when you are facing a federal criminal charge, the situation is serious. You want to deal with it as soon as possible. You want to get ahead of it as much as you can and the most important thing that can happen early on when the investigation has happened is that you do not speak to law enforcement without a lawyer present.
You don’t have to be rude about it, but you just say no. You say, “No, I would not like to speak with you any further.” You exercise your right to not self-incriminate. It’s amazing how often people think they’re helping themselves out by federal law enforcement, FBI, or any other federal law enforcement agent, they are out there to build a case against you. They’re not talking to you to try and find ways to let you off the hook, so it’s just so important that you don’t talk to law enforcement.
There are a number of ways you might find out that you are the target of a federal investigation. There are a number of ways clients come to us before being indicted. They’re never making a mistake getting to us early and giving us the opportunity to work with the US Attorney’s Office, work with the investigating agency, whether it be the FBI, Secret Service, ATF, or DEA. There are a number of ways that we can work with them, and you’re always going to have more options if you’re working with a lawyer early, whether it’s with us or with somebody else.
If you or a loved one is a target of a criminal investigation, it’s important that they not speak with law enforcement without a lawyer present, and be sure to get in contact with an Oklahoma criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. I can be reached if you have questions about these types of matters. Again, my name is Ted Hasse. I can be reached at 918-932-2800.