With nearly three decades of experience in federal criminal defense, I've handled cases across the country. This extensive experience has given me a deep understanding of what it takes to be among the best attorneys in this field.

Of course, I am including myself in there, so I believe I possess superior skills in many of the things I am touching upon.

One of the key aspects of my approach is to truly understand my client's perspective. This involves understanding their hopes, their life circumstances, and what it will take to provide the best possible defense for them in their federal criminal case.

This is important because many people come in with different thoughts about how their federal case should be handled, what the ultimate outcomes should be, and what the plan of attack should be.

So, one of the first things you have to do is really get to know your client and what they expect out of their federal criminal case.

I've noticed that most federal criminal defendants are more sophisticated than your average defendant, so they are intelligent.  But, just because they are intelligent doesn't mean they understand the federal criminal system.

Educating Clients on How the Federal System Works

Here, the role of a great federal criminal defense attorney shines as they not only educate their clients on how the system works but also on how the system relates to their particular case. This knowledge empowers the client in making informed decisions about their case.

Sometimes people come into a situation scared, but thinking that they know how a case should be handled. In reality, most of the time, they don't because they haven't been

in court. For example:

• They haven't seen how juries react to evidence;
• They haven't seen how the federal prosecutors investigate and deal with some of these cases, and
• They haven't seen how judges relate to these federal criminal cases.

So, that is step number one: educating your client, getting to know your client, and then matching those things up with your client's case.

So, when your client is done with that meeting, he will have a good sense of what they are up against and what's realistic based on their circumstances.

Ability to Best Evaluate Your Federal Case

So, when you read some of these posts on the internet about federal criminal cases, you have to realize that they are providing general information and don't necessarily relate to your case.

So, just because someone is explaining some great result they got from one of their clients doesn't necessarily mean that they have that same defense or that same strategy in your case.

It's crucial for the client to be open and honest with their federal criminal defense attorney. This includes sharing all relevant information and evidence, as it allows the attorney to accurately assess the case and provide the best possible defense.

If you are either untruthful or leave out important facts, you will not get the best result in your federal criminal case. Honesty and transparency in your communication with your attorney are crucial for a successful legal process.

Skill to Win a Federal Criminal Case at Trial

Another important characteristic of the best federal criminal defense attorneys is their skill in fighting and winning a case at trial.

Now, I will say this to you: not all federal cases are the same and should go to trial. In fact, there's a pretty strong argument that most federal cases shouldn't go to trial.

However, that doesn't mean you don't want your attorney to be highly skilled at trying a case because attorneys who can try cases also know:

• how to value a federal case;
• know when the prosecutors have over-filed the case; and
• know how to negotiate with federal prosecutors effectively.

So, to me, if you have an attorney who can litigate your federal criminal case, those are the best.

This is not only because they are going to be able to litigate, but they're also going to be able to investigate and also be able to relate to the prosecutors and judges and get you the best possible outcome in your case.

Experience Handling Criminal Cases at the Federal Level

The last thing I would say is that your attorney has to have experience at the federal level handling criminal cases.  You obviously don't want your case to be their first criminal case.

Believe it or not, most criminal defense attorneys, in my experience, do not do federal cases. The criminal attorneys usually do only state level cases.

Many are afraid to handle federal cases because they don't understand them. They've never handled them before, and they're not exactly the same beast as a state criminal case.

Right from the beginning, when somebody gets arrested, they're usually brought into court pretty quickly.

Getting You Released from Federal Custody

I often see people brought into court the same day, so your attorney has got to know how to argue bail, which is very important in a federal criminal case. You don't get to hire a bail bondsman.

Typically, you'll get some sort of signature bond, property bond, or something else that makes sense for your client.

Sometimes a combination of both signature and property bonds, so you really have to understand how that works and be able to quickly move so that your client can be in the best position to get out of custody.

Sometimes, these federal cases take a little while, depending on the amount of evidence and the complexity of the situation.

So, if you get your client out, you obviously sit in a much stronger position, and that experience is key.

I've been all over the nation. I've handled cases in different courthouses.  I've gone against different prosecutors, up against different judges and law enforcement agents.

I have filed motions all across the country, so I think I have a pretty good feel of how to handle a case when you have a good issue to litigate a federal case and when you should really sit down with the government and negotiate.

You've come to the right place if you're looking for the best federal criminal defense attorney to handle your case.

Pick up the phone. Make the call. Ask for a meeting with Ron Hedding. I'm ready to help. Hedding Law Firm is based in Los Angeles County. We offer a free case evaluation to review the details of your case and your legal options.