Federal Crimes

If you’ve been charged with a federal crime, or you’re under investigation, you need an experienced federal criminal defense attorney at your side immediately. Pascagoula- Gulfport federal defense attorney Sean Buckley has over two decades of federal criminal defense experience and is ready to fight for your legal rights and defend your reputation.

What’s a Federal Crime?

Federal crimes are criminal offenses defined by U.S. federal law. Federal criminal laws are created by Congress (Article I – Legislative Branch) under the authority of protecting interstate commerce. Federal criminal cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice and local U.S. Attorneys and their legal staff (Article II – Executive Branch). And finally, federal criminal cases must be filed in federal court where they are overseen by federal judges (Article III – Judicial Branch). United States District Judges, who preside over federal felony cases, are individually appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by Congress to serve lifetime terms. Federal Magistrate Judges are appointed by the District Judges to oversee certain types of cases and proceedings.

The federal system is completely separate from state and local courts and operates under its own procedural rules. Attorneys must be specially admitted to practice in federal court.

Federal Charges & Indictments

Naturally, a criminal defense attorney’s ability to advise and defend clients in federal court depends heavily on the extent of his federal trial experience. Unfortunately, many defense lawyers operate under the mistaken belief that the federal government always wins and that pleading guilty is the only rational path forward.

In truth, federal prosecutors don’t always win – and not everyone who’s accused of a crime in federal court should plead guilty.  Pascagoula - Gulfport federal defense attorney Sean Buckley has years of experience winning against the federal government at trial and in pretrial litigation. Mr. Buckley has achieved favorable results for clients in federal court including winning “Not Guilty” jury verdicts on all counts in a $120 million federal Healthcare Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy case, winning a court-ordered “Speedy Trial” dismissal in a federal Tax Evasion case after prosecutors took too long to extradite his client, and winning dismissals in federal cases involving Conspiracy, Drug Trafficking, Healthcare Fraud, Gambling, and Immigration crimes. Each case is unique, and previous successful results do not guarantee successful outcomes for future cases.

Annually since 2010, Sean Buckley has been recognized for his expertise in federal criminal law by serving as lead Attorney Editor of O’Connor’s Federal Criminal Rules & Codes (12th ed.), a nationally respected law book trusted by federal criminal lawyers across the United States.