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Covered by New York Times, and other outlets. Fake heiress accused of conning the city’s wealthy, and has an HBO special being made about her.

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Accused of stalking Alec Baldwin. The case garnered nationwide attention, with USAToday, NYPost, and other media outlets following it closely.

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Juror who prompted calls for new Ghislaine Maxwell trial turns to lawyer who defended Anna Sorokin.

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Meet Todd Spodek

WE PROVIDE WHITE GLOVE SERVICE TO CLIENTS
WHO WANT MORE FROM THEIR ATTORNEY

The Spodek Law Group understands how delicate high-profile cases can be, and has a strong track record of getting positive outcomes. Our lawyers service a clientele that is nationwide. With offices in both LA and NYC, and cases all across the country - Spodek Law Group is a top tier law firm.

Todd Spodek is a second generation attorney with immense experience. He has many years of experience handling 100’s of tough and hard to win trials. He’s been featured on major news outlets, such as New York Post, Newsweek, Fox 5 New York, South China Morning Post, Insider.com, and many others.

In 2022, Netflix released a series about one of Todd’s clients: Anna Delvey/Anna Sorokin.

Why Clients Choose Spodek Law Group

The reason is simple: clients want white glove service, and lawyers who can win. Every single client who works with the Spodek Law Group is aware that the attorney they hire could drastically change the outcome of their case. Hiring the Spodek Law Group means you’re taking your future seriously. Our lawyers handle cases nationwide, ranging from NYC to LA. Our philosophy is fair and simple: our nyc criminal lawyers only take on clients who we know will benefit from our services.

We’re selective about the clients we work with, and only take on cases we know align with our experience – and where we can make a difference. This is different from other law firms who are not invested in your success nor care about your outcome.

If you have a legal issue, call us for a consultation.
We are available 24/7, to help you with any – and all, challenges you face.

Do I have To Talk To A Federal Grand Jury?

The short answer is no. However, if you’ve been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury, learning all you can about what you’re up against can guide you about what to do next.

Why Are Witnesses Subpoenaed By Federal Grand Juries?

There are two possible reasons. One reason is that the prosecution believes that you, as a witness, may have important information about a crime committed by someone else. The other reason is that the prosecutor believes you may have committed a crime yourself. In that case, you’re considered a target.

Any testimony that witnesses give to a grand jury can be used as evidence against them later. The only exception is if you are granted special witness immunity from prosecution prior to testimony.

How Do I Know If I’m a Target?

Your lawyer can usually find out from the prosecutor if you’re a target. If so, your lawyer might try to make a deal for you to testify with immunity. You might also be granted immunity if you have a legitimate refusal to testify based on your Fifth Amendment rights.

What Is Immunity?

There are two types of immunity. Which one is granted would depend on the gravity of the target’s criminal history:

  • Transactional immunity is when a witness cannot be prosecuted for any criminal activity related to the topic of the testimony.
  • Use immunity is when a witness could potentially be prosecuted for criminal activity related to the subject of the inquiry. However, the testimony itself may not be used in a future prosecution.

Prosecutors routinely grant immunity to small potatoes criminals in exchange for witness testimony about the fat cat criminals.

Am I Required to Testify?

A witness who refuses to testify after being given immunity can be held in contempt of court by a judge and jailed. In that case, it’s not a good idea to refuse to testify, although you do have the option.

The legal premise for giving testimony is that a grand jury is entitled to evidence from anyone who has it. If you have information that could impact a criminal investigation, you’re expected to show up and share what you know.

Nevertheless, there are always exceptions.

How Can I Get an Exemption?

You are entitled to certain privileges as a U.S. citizen. Those privileges include asserting your Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. If the information you have could be used against you, you have the right to refuse to testify.

Additional privileges that may apply include marital privilege and attorney-client privilege. If anything you are asked to testify about would violate any of your privileges, you have the right to remain silent. If not, then you must tell the grand jury what you know.

How Does a Grand Jury Work?

Grand juries are more laid-back than courtrooms. Nevertheless, they play an essential role in the criminal case-building process. Grand juries work with the prosecutor to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against a potential defendant. The jurors are on a fact-finding mission. Witnesses are not found guilty or charged with crimes.

What’s the Difference Between Grand Juries and Preliminary Hearings?

Not all states use grand juries. Instead, they use preliminary hearings that precede criminal trials. The hearings are adversarial in nature. Like grand juries, preliminary hearings are used to see whether there’s enough evidence to charge a suspect. A preliminary hearing may be followed by a grand jury to gather additional evidence.

What Happens At Grand Jury Hearings?

There is no judge presiding over grand jury proceedings. It’s just the jurors, the witnesses and the prosecutor. The prosecutor will explain the law and assist the jurors with gathering evidence and hearing testimony. Any evidence is welcome, and it can be almost anything.

Grand juries are secret proceedings. All testimony is kept confidential. That helps witnesses to feel more comfortable and protects the reputation of the target in case the jury chooses not to indict.

An indictment does not require unanimous agreement among all the jurors. Agreement among 2/3 or 3/4 of jurors is all that’s needed for an indictment.

On the other hand, the jury might chose not to indict. If that happens, the prosecutor may still indict the defendant based on the evidence established so far.

For the prosecution, grand juries are a kind of litmus test of the strength of a case. Grand jury findings can either support and advance the case or show clearly insufficient evidence to establish guilt.

The trial will go faster if a grand jury chooses to indict. Without a grand jury indictment, the prosecutor must clearly show the trial judge that there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the case. With a grand jury indictment, the prosecutor can skip that step and proceed directly to trial.

If you have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury and you think you might be a target, consult with a federal grand jury investigation lawyer immediately to discuss your situation.

References:

https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-procedure/how-does-a-grand-jury-work.html
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/federal-grand-jury-ten-tips-if-you-receive-subpoena
https://www.whitecollarcrimeresources.com/do-i-have-to-talk-to-a-federal-grand-jury.html
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/testifying-before-a-grand-jury.html

Any kind of legal case, whether a civil or a criminal matter, is likely to take time to complete. The process of hearing and deciding on a case may take weeks if not months or years. Part of this process may involve a specific procedure known as a grand jury. Unlike some other types of juries, the purpose of the grand jury is not to find out if the person who might be accused of a crime is innocent or guilty under the laws of the state. Instead, the grand jury is designed to determine if there is enough evidence to begin the process of charging the person with felony. A felony is a very serious crime.

People who have been convicted of a felony may face all sorts of restrictions on their lives. A felony conviction may prevent someone from voting. It can also prevent them from owning or using any kind of firearm. Many states allow employers the automatic right to refuse to hire a convicted felon even if that person has the qualifications to fill the job. The possibility of being accused of a felony can also smear a person’s reputation in the public eye.

In addition, it can be very costly to try someone of such a crime. This is why many prosecutors want to make sure they have a case. Enter the grand jury. The grand jury process allows the prosecutor to determine if can probably get a guilty verdict. For certain crimes, heading to a grand jury is actually a requirement under the American constitution. This process is taken very seriously by many prosecutors. They will present their case in front of a group of people that can be as small as sixteen or as large as twenty-three in number depending on the venue. The grand jury is not used in many states. It is only applies to federal felonies.

Getting a Subpoena

You might be called to speak in front of a grand jury for several reasons. One of the most common is that you might later be accused of a crime. Another reason that you might be called in front of a grand jury is that you are a witness to a crime. The prosecutor wants you to present evidence of what you’ve seen in front of a group of people who otherwise have no knowledge of the issues that might surround any wrong doing.

When you get that summons, now is the time to talk to a lawyer if you have not done so before. In general, the law requires that you must present what you know to the prosecutor and all members of the grand jury. If you don’t, you may be in violation of many laws. If you have evidence, you must be willing to hand it to grand jury when get that notification. At the same time, as is the case in many legal issues, there are certain exceptions to the rules that might apply to you personally during this process.

Privileged Information

The American constitution offers residents many specific legal rights. One such right is what is known as privileged information. By law, there are certain things people do not have to do legally. One of the most important of such rights is the right to avoid self incrimination. Essentially this means that all people in the United States are not obligated to give statements that might cause them to be charged with a crime. This is popularly known as taking the fifth or citing the fifth amendment to the Bill of Rights when speaking in a court of law. The same laws that apply in other courts also apply during the grand jury process.

You cannot be forced to testify that you committed a crime. This right is fairly broad. You cannot be compelled to state that you killed someone outright. The grand jury system also cannot compel you to give evidence that might lead anyone else to conclude that you probably committed a crime. So you also can’t be forced to state that you were at a murder scene even if other evidence points to the fact that you were present.

Other forms of privilege also apply when you are dealing with a grand jury summons. Husbands and wives cannot be forced to testify against each other in a grand jury trial. The same is true of any communications that you had with your legal counsel. You can’t be forced to reveal such information. You can volunteer it, of course. But you can’t be compelled by the state to talk about in a court. If you are facing such issues, now is the time to consult with a lawyer. They can explain such legal matters in much greater details in person.

Why you need a lawyer for a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena

Currently, a lot of people have been convicted or are facing federal criminal charges across the US. The public has looked down upon the importance of having an attorney during a grand Federal Grand Jury Subpoena. Usually, a grand jury comes first before any criminals charges proceeding. In the event that you are issued with a notice to appear before a grand jury it highly probable that you are under probe for a federal criminal offense. Under normal circumstances, the jury and the prosecution team will work together to establish whether you are to face criminal charges or not. This jury proceeding will undoubtedly weigh much on the possibility of facing federal criminal charges.

Appearing before a federal grand jury without a lawyer could be suicidal in the sense that you are most likely to face criminal trials. Getting a competent and professional attorney/ lawyer will put you at ‘ahead’ of the system. It will in a long way help you avoid the stressful criminal trials that could probably culminate to conviction. The attorney will represent you and work to prove to the jury that the evidence presented by the prosecution team is void and hence proving your innocence. Hiring a lawyer is the best shot and chances are that you will be relieved of probable criminal trials.

So, how does the Grand Jury Proceedings look? A grand jury constitutes a 16 to 23 member group. These individuals are called to serve in the court just like in an ordinary court proceeding. They are all mandated to make intensive reviews on the evidence tabled by the prosecution and determine your fate. In case, there is enough evidence, they recommend for a court trial.

On the other hand, if the evidence is insufficient, then the case could end at that point. However, the prosecution team could opt to push for a criminal trial. Nonetheless, the chances are that the prosecution will lose in the criminal trials. In case of this eventuality, your lawyer will work relentlessly to develop a solid case in court and that way you be very much close to your freedom and stress-free life.

Hiring an attorney for federal grand jury subpoena comes with a number of privileges. A lawyer will definitely add a lot of value with regard to discrediting the prosecution evidence. He/she will feel the heat of the jury on your behalf. Even though the proceeding may be less formal having legal representation at this stage will significantly affect the outcome of the direction your cases. At this point, it vital that do a background check to establish the competence, history, and skills of your lawyer. Do not just hire and ‘any criminal lawyer.’

Here three main reasons why you should consider having an attorney on your side in a federal grand jury subpoena.

First of all, is that the lawyer will take through probable questions in a grand jury proceeding. In case it is a subpoena for documents, the lawyer will assist in determining or identifying whether they are any privilege issues in the document or expected testimony. If they are any, the lawyer will help you go through them during the entire grand jury process.

Secondly, is that the lawyer will give regular updates on the investigation status. He/ she will work keep you posted on the direction of the investigation by the prosecution. This will in a big way reduce stress and help you focus on your daily life without much worry.

The attorney will work precisely to help you understand your role and responsibility with regard to the investigation procedures. Additionally, he /she will provide you will a clear status of your criminal investigations.

Lastly, the attorney will assume a logistics function. Logistics are basically procedures that needed to be followed as far as the grand jury and court trial processes are concerned. For example, if there are any document submissions to be done, then the lawyer will be there to make sure that is done. At the same time, the attorney will ensure all the processes are cost-effective, law-abiding, and as per the provisions of the prosecution and those of the grand jury subpoena.

All these functions will provide for a smooth grand jury subpoena proceedings, and it will in a big way positively affect its outcome. In addition to this, the lawyer may address issues concerning scheduling problems or other issues that may be pressing you. If you need to reach out to the prosecution, the lawyer can reach out to the team on your behalf instead of doing it yourself.

Hiring a lawyer will add value to your proceedings if your freedom is a priority, hiring a lawyer at this stage is highly recommendable if you want to a chance to clears your name.

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I was searching for a law firm with some power to help me deal with a warrant in New York . After 6 days I decided to go with Spodek Law Group. It helped that This law firm is well respected by not only the top law firms in New York , but the DA , Judge as well. I...

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It was my good fortune to retain Spodek Law Group for representation for my legal needs. From the beginning, communication was prompt and thorough. Todd, Kenneth and Alex were the first people I worked with and they all made me, and my company Qumana skincare feel comfortable and confident that the team was going to work hard for me. Everything...

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After meeting with several law firms, I chose the Spodek Law Group not only for their professionalism and experience, but for the personal attention given to me right from the initial consultation. It is important to recognize how crucial having the right legal team is when faced with potentially life altering events that impact families and the lives of loved...

~George Cherubini

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