• What are High Tech Crimes?

High Tech Crimes are any criminal type problems related to the High Tech Industry. Since the rise in the High Tech industry has occurred so rapidly during the past few years, a number of criminal problems have arisen as a result of this new industry. These crimes range from thefts of chips and other hardware, stealing of trade secrets, complicated hacking schemes, to security system breaches. The area has attracted much attention and many police agencies, including local agencies, have special units designed to address this area. Hacking has become an area of much interest during the last few years. The laws dealing with hacking have not been updated sufficiently to adequately deal with the problem. I think we will see a few updated statutes very soon in order to strengthen the criminal penalties in this area.

• Is there a difference between State and Federal charges?

Yes, the State and Federal system are very different. Many lawyers avoid Federal Court all together because of the serious nature of most proceedings. Many high tech crimes end up in Federal Court where penalties can be more severe. Whether a person is charged in State or Federal Court will depend on which court has jurisdiction and whether or not the federal agency wants to prosecute the case. If the case is small, it is unlikely that the Feds will want to prosecute, thus leaving it to the local DA.

• What should I do if I am suspected of committing a crime?

Contact us or your lawyer immediately. There is no substitute to good legal advice when you are suspected of committing a crime.