You may be confused about the reasoning behind having received a grand jury subpoena. All the while, you may be nervous to testify in the presence of a grand jury. With all this uncertainty, you must retain the services of an attorney who knows this process through and through. Follow along to find out what you should do if you get a grand jury subpoena and how a proficient Kaufman County, Texas criminal defense lawyer at Harrell & Paulson, LLP can best represent you.
What Is a Grand Jury Subpoena?
First of all, a grand jury subpoena is a tool that state and federal prosecutors may use to obtain testimonies and other forms of evidence in an investigation of potential criminal activity. They may issue this subpoena to individuals who may or may not have been involved in this alleged criminal activity. This is most commonly seen in investigations of white-collar crimes, such as the following:
Investigations of money laundering.
Investigations of tax evasion.
Investigations of fraud.
Investigations of embezzlement.
Investigations of insider trading.
What Approach Should I Take if I Get a Grand Jury Subpoena?
Essentially, grand jury investigations are kept secret. So it may be difficult for you to pinpoint exactly why you were issued a subpoena. To properly prepare for your testimony, you must do some self-reflection to determine the potential reasoning behind this. With that being said, potential reasonings are as follows:
You may be the target of the investigation: that is, the prosecutors believe that you are directly involved in the alleged criminal activity.
You may be the subject of the investigation: that is, the prosecutors believe that you are a criminal liability in the alleged criminal activity.
You may be the witness of the investigation: that is, the prosecutors believe that you have relevant information regarding the alleged criminal activity.
Of note, the prosecutors may reposition you into the target, subject, or witness as the investigation unfolds. In the meantime, you must comply with the prosecutors’ requests to submit documents and disclose information. You may find yourself in a more critical situation if you are caught destroying documents. That is, you may be charged with obstruction of justice. Or, you may be sanctioned for contempt of the court.
How Can an Attorney Support Me During This Time?
You must acquire legal representation almost immediately after receiving a grand jury subpoena. This is necessary regardless of how severe you believe the situation at hand is. In the end, you do not want to mistakenly incriminate yourself when you have no reason to in the first place. Rest assured, an attorney will know what, when, and how to provide information to the prosecutors.
The bottom line is that, if you get a grand jury subpoena, you need a competent Kaufman County, Texas criminal defense lawyer in your corner. Call or send a message to Harrell & Paulson, LLP today. We look forward to hearing from you.
