Extortion is a means of wrongfully obtaining property from another person. The victim voluntarily hands over the property because they have been threatened with force or placed in a position of fear. Inducing a public officer to perform an act in his or her official capacity by force, threats of force or fear is a very traditional form of extortion. It is also considered extortion if force or threats are used to make a person sign a legal document which transfers property, rights or money.

Extortion is a serious charge not to be taken lightly by anyone facing it. If any instrument of "commerce" such as the Internet or the U.S. Postal Service is used to make threats, the case can be prosecuted at the federal level, meaning far stiffer penalties and reduced maneuvering in plea negotiation.

Often, extortion charges are prosecuted at the federal level. Federal Courts are different from State Courts and require a different type of defense. Federal charges are investigated by large government agencies with virtually unlimited resources and time to build their cases. If you suspect that you may be charged or under investigation by the federal government, it is critical that you obtain the services of an experienced federal criminal defense attorney.

Pre-trial preparation is the key to successful defense of extortion charges. If computers or documents are involved, a forensic computer expert and handwriting and/or fingerprint experts may play a pivotal role. Your defense team needs to have the experience and depth of resources to analyze and prepare your case.

Because of the time and specialized skills involved, mounting a successful defense requires a defense team, not just a single attorney. Prosecutors generally do not pursue cases that they don't feel they can prove in trial. This is why it is critical to dig even deeper into your case than the prosecution and inject the reasonable doubt that will let you win in the courtroom if necessary.

The obvious goal of a criminal defense firm is to get charges against you dismissed or, barring that, get a not guilty verdict. In the case of white collar crimes, there can be many individual charges, each of which carries its own sentence.

In the event that it is not possible to disprove a specific charge against you, we can be extremely helpful at sentence reduction. The complexity of white collar cases creates many opportunities for plea bargains, and the lattitude that state court judges can have makes it possible to greatly reduce sentences and penalties.

At LibertyBell Law Group, we have a national team of top trial attorneys with specific experience defending against white collar criminal charges. Our experience spans state courtrooms across the country and the federal court system. Our attorneys have successfully defended clients in cases involving millions of dollars and multiple years of defense work.

Call us now at 1-800-432-BELL (2355) for a free consultation with one of our star attorneys. We stand ready to defend you both inside and outside the courtroom. Early intervention is the key to our mutual success.