When you are served with a grand jury subpoena, you should comply. You should also take steps to protect yourself though. Even if you do not think that there could be any reason for a prosecutor to investigate you, speaking to a Haverstraw criminal defense attorney from our firm is a good idea.
Simply ignoring a grand jury subpoena is not an option. You will just face a contempt of court charge and be forced to comply with the subpoena anyway. Instead of ignoring a grand jury subpoena, you should start thinking about ways to protect yourself while you do what this document asks of you.
This is the most stressful part of receiving a grand jury subpoena. It is hard to know exactly why you have received one. A grand jury is convened to investigate crimes, usually “white collar” offenses like fraud. It is also important to note that a grand jury’s proceedings are secretive. So this means that you receive a subpoena, and it is hard to even know how the prosecution views you.
You could be the target of an investigation. The prosecution could be building a case against you because they think that you are directly involved in criminal activities.
You could also just be a subject of an investigation. The prosecution thinks that you are somehow involved in some kind of malfeasance, but they do not know if you have criminal liability yet.
Maybe the prosecution just believes that you are a witness though. You have information relevant to their investigation, but you are not under criminal investigation.
Not even knowing whether or not you are under investigation can be a stressful experience. This is why it is a good idea to go to a defense attorney as soon as you receive a grand jury subpoena. A lawyer can help you gather any needed documents and form a defensive strategy just in case there are any accusations that might be thrown your way.
Your lawyer can also prepare you if you have to testify. You do not want to incriminate yourself, so having the proper preparation can make all the difference. Your attorney may even be able to quash a subpoena, if there is a valid legal reason for doing so.
It can be stressful to receive a grand jury subpoena, but you do not have to face the prosecutor and the state all on your own. Contact The Law Office of Kevin T. Conway and schedule a consultation with our team. We can help you figure out the best way to respond to a subpoena without incriminating yourself or putting yourself in legal peril.
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