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Federal vs. State Crimes

Criminal charges are categorized under state crime andfederal crime in the United States. By far the majority of crimes are considered state crimes, therefore, they are handled in state courts. However, certain crimes are “federal offenses,” which are typically prosecuted in the federal courts.

The federal courts are established under the U.S. Constitution to handle disputes involving laws which were passed by Congress. The main difference between the federal and state courts, are defined by jurisdiction. The jurisdiction refers to what kinds of cases a court is authorized to hear.

As the state courts have such broad jurisdiction, most criminal offenses are handled in the state courts. However, federal offenses are handled in the federal courts. Federal offenses include but are not limited to:kidnapping,drug trafficking,white collar crime, mail fraud and healthcare fraud among many others.

Because federal crimes are extremely serious in nature, it’s vastly important that your criminal defense attorney be experienced in defending federal crimes. In fact, it is not uncommon for federal cases to have large federal agencies involved such as the FBI, DEA, and CIA – who have unlimited resources working towards securing a conviction. Hiring an experienced lawyer, will be your first line of defense when confronted by a large, impressive prosecution team.

Martinian & Associates Inc. is acriminal defense firm located in Los Angeles, California. They handle all types of criminal offenses ranging fromjuvenile crime to evenmurder. If you choose to go with their firm, you can rest easy knowing that you will be defended by an experienced criminal defense lawyer who is devoted to helping you achieve the best possible outcome in your case! Don’t hesitate tocontact a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney from their firm for a free case evaluation!