If you receive a grand jury subpoena, a prosecutor believes that you have some information that is relevant to their investigation. If you do not cooperate with the subpoena, you could face legal consequences. You should be ready to comply, but you should also talk to our Hartford County criminal defense attorneys about how you can protect yourself in this situation.
Why Am I Receiving a Grand Jury Subpoena?
You are receiving a grand jury subpoena because a prosecutor thinks that you are somehow related to a crime that they are investigating. The problem with this is that the grand jury investigation is not public. It can be difficult to know exactly how the prosecutor thinks that you are involved in whatever case they are investigating. You could be:
- A target of the investigation
- A subject of the investigation
- A witness in the investigation
A target of the investigation is likely to face charges. A subject could be criminally liable, but the prosecution is not sure yet. A witness may just have useful information that the prosecutor needs. Your status can change at any time though, and you would have little indication of what you are facing.
What Happens If I Ignore the Grand Jury Subpoena?
Ignoring the grand jury subpoena is a bad idea. You could be charged with contempt of court, and you are still probably going to end up complying with the subpoena anyway. We also should not have to tell you that disposing of requested documents or otherwise interfering with the grand jury investigation can carry additional penalties.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
So what do you do when you are served with a grand jury subpoena? You simply have to comply with it. We recommend talking to a lawyer before doing so though. An attorney could potentially get this subpoena quashed. If that is impossible, then they may be able to narrow the scope of the subpoena.
If you have to gather up a lot of different documents in order to respond to the subpoena, your lawyer can help with that. If you need to testify, your lawyer can help prepare you. They can advise you and help you avoid making self-incriminating statements.
Even if you think that you have nothing to worry about, having a lawyer on your side can be valuable. You cannot be sure exactly what the prosecution is looking for or why you were served with a grand jury subpoena, so you absolutely must take steps to protect yourself. You do not want to end up facing fines, jail time, or other punishments because you did not take a little bit of time to meet with a lawyer and understand your rights.
Talk to Our Legal Team Today
So before you comply with this subpoena, set up an appointment with our team. The experienced defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Marc N. Needelman would be happy to tell you more about how you should proceed.
