What To Do If You Are Charged With A Federal Crime

Attorney Marc J. Victor

People often come to the Attorneys For Freedom office after they are charged with a federal offense. What does it mean to be charged with a federal offense? How is this different than a state offense? Federal offenses are very different than state offenses.

There are many criminal defense attorneys out there, but very few of them are licensed to practice in federal court. It may be surprising to some that you need to be admitted to federal court and not all criminal defense attorneys are. In fact, very few, a small percentage of them are admitted to federal court and an even smaller percentage of them actually go to federal court on a regular basis.

If you are charged with a criminal offense in federal court, it’s very important that you get a criminal defense attorney who regularly appears in federal court. The rules in federal court are dramatically different than the rules in state court. They have different crimes, different rules of criminal procedure, and different rules of evidence. They’re processed through the justice system differently. If you are convicted, there are federal sentencing guidelines unlike anything in the state system.

So if you’re charged with a federal crime, you really need to seek out a criminal defense attorney who has lots of experience and regularly appears in the federal courts. Contact the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm to schedule a Strategy Session to discuss your Federal Case.

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Zatarra F.
3 days ago
ON APRIL OF 2026 I WAS AT A BAR AND GRILL PICKING UP MY LUNCH A REGULAR CUSTOMER THAT'S THERE ON A DAILY BASIS DRINKING PICKED A FIGHT WITH ME AND PUT HANDS ON ME NOT ONCE DID I ENGAGE POLICE WERE CALLED AND FROM EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY JUST ABOUT EVERYONE THAT WAS AT THE ESTABLISHMENT TESTIFIED ON HIS BEHALF THAT I PUT HANDS ON HIM FIRST AND EVEN WENT AS FAR AS SAYING I DREW MY FIREARM AT HIM... AT THAT POINT I DECIDED TO GIVE ATTORNEY ON RETAINER A CALL TO SEE IF I WAS COVERED FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE AT THE LAW FARM... HOWARD MY ATTORNEY GOT IN CONTACT WITH ME RIGHT AWAY HE TOOK MY STATEMENT ON WHAT HAPPENED AND HAD HIS ASSISTANT LIBERTY GIVE ME A FOLLOW-UP CALL ON WHAT TOOK PLACE... AFTER GATHERING ALL THE INFORMATION THEY GOT TO WORK ON MY CASE IMMEDIATELY... I HAD INFORMED THEM THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE TOLD ME THAT THE POLICE WERE GOING TO ISSUE A WARRANT FOR MY ARREST... LIBERTY AND HOWARD WERE IN POSSESSION OF A VIDEO RECORDING FOR THE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE THAT DAY... HOWARD GOT IN TOUCH WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS LIBERTY STARTED PUTTING THE PAPERWORK TO THE CASE TOGETHER HOWARD WANTED TO SEE HOW FAR INTO THE INVESTIGATION THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD GOTTEN WITHOUT I BELIEVE NOT INFORMING THEM THAT HE WAS IN POSSESSION OF THE VIDEO... EVERYDAY THAT WENT BY I WAS WORRIED AND LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER WONDERING WHEN I WAS GOING TO BE PLACED UNDER ARREST AND CHARGED... HOWARD INFORMED ME THAT AFTER REVIEWING THE VIDEO HE COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT I COULD BE CHARGED WITH BUT IT WAS STILL A WAITING GAME TO SEE WHERE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS GOING TO TAKE THIS... AFTER ABOUT A WEEK HOWARD RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY WERE NOT BRINGING ANY CHARGES AGAINST ME AND THE CASE WAS CLOSED... IT TURNED OUT THAT THE EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIES INCLUDING ME BRANDISHING MY FIREARM AND POINTING IT AT HIM WERE ALL LIES LIBERTY AND HOWARD CLOSED OUT MY CASE AND INFORMED ME IF ANYTHING ELSE PERTAINING TO THIS CASE ARISES TO CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY... IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO REPRESENT YOU WHEN IT COMES TO SELF-DEFENSE AND YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT AMONGST OTHER THINGS AOR IS THE WAY TO GO THEY WILL STAND BY YOU FROM BEGINNING TO END... HOWARD AND LIBERTY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID TO KEEP ME FROM BEING RAILROADED... SIR... ✝️🙏🇺🇲⚖️...
Ray Y.
4 days ago
I called Attorneys On Retainer and spoke with Derek. I found him to be a caring person who helped me with the entire sign up process. He took his time and answered all my questions. He even called me back to help me with access to my portal.
David J.
1 week ago
I had the pleasure of having Attorneys on Retainer on my team recently and I'm glad I went the extra step to not only protect myself but also my family in the event of a self defense matter. Mr Howard my attorney and his team handled the situation in a matter of hours to have a possible costly issue resolved in my favor. Attorneys on Retainer and the teams they have for us to protect our interest are 2nd to none. I would recommend them in a heartbeat. Thank you Attorneys on Retainer.
Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your experience, David. We’re honored you trusted us to protect both you and your family during such an important situation. We’re proud Howard and his team were able to respond quickly and help resolve the matter effectively. Providing strong legal support when it matters most is exactly what we strive for. We truly appreciate your recommendation and your confidence in AOR.
alvin H.
1 month ago
In my view AOR is the premier organization for Concealed carry citizens, I have just had another very Professional interaction with one of their representatives Miss Stacy Peterson, Professional staff and Professional Accessible attorneys is their hallmark, after an unpleasant experience with USSCA it is like finding an oasis in a desert! Thank you, Again Marc Victor, for your work and your staff! Sincerely Alvin Hickling
Response from the owner:Thank you for the thoughtful review, Alvin. We’re honored by your confidence in AOR and grateful for your kind words about Stacy and our team. Providing professional support, accessible attorneys, and clear guidance is exactly what we strive for. We truly appreciate your trust and are proud to stand in your corner.
John S.
2 months ago
Because I have had a run-in with my local police in the past about defending the life of a third party, I was concerned about police trying to find a way to charge me when I had to defend myself with a knife last night. I called the Emergency number so that I could avoid a "why didn't you call us" conversation later. After I was connected to Howard Snader, he listened to my account of the event that transpired as well as the incident from my past. He assured me that I did the right thing by calling and he checked in on me this morning to make sure I was still a free man. I let him know that assailant had been arrested last night and he is also on an ICE HOLD.
Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your experience, John. We understand how stressful and uncertain situations like that can be, especially when prior experiences add additional concern. We’re proud Howard was able to provide immediate guidance, reassurance, and follow-up when it mattered most. Having trusted legal support in critical moments is exactly why we do what we do. We’re grateful for your trust and are glad you’re safe.