Why do some crimes get prosecuted in state court, yet others work their way to the federal court system? The basic answer is the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. This part of the Constitution allows federal prosecutors to take a case when the law says that the crime was in or affected interstate commerce.

Although the federal government can prosecute many crimes, only a handful of cases are taken up by federal prosecutors, who are commonly called Assistant United States Attorneys or AUSA. An AUSA usually will only bring a case to federal court if it is a large investigation, involves federal actors or property, or is otherwise a high-profile matter.

Federal prosecutions are very different from state cases. Many accomplished defense attorneys are simply not equipped to handle the defense of a federal criminal case. The rules are quite different between state and federal court, especially the horribly complicated Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The lawyers at Kish & Lietz are specialists in federal criminal defense, both at the trial level and on appeal. We have handled virtually every type of federal criminal case, from the smallest theft or drug possession, up to large multi-national fraud, drug cases, and even high-profile death penalty prosecutions. We have represented thousands of clients in federal court. We respect the seriousness of such charges, but we do not shy away from them. If you would like to talk to attorneys who handle federal crimes, feel free to call (404) 588-3991, or contact us online.